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Control Engineering Engineers' Choice Awards announced
 Control Engineering announces the winners of the 2007 Engineers' Choice awards, which highlight the most notable new products introduced in 2007. More than 150 products were nominated, marking a 25% increase over last year. Electronic ballots were sent to engineers who indicated that they are responsible for or influence technology purchases, or have hands-on interaction with the technologies in each respective area. Response was excellent, generating more than 870 completed ballots. Winners and runners up were named in 21 product categories. See the print supplement bound into the February 2008 issue for winners,
or go online now see a compendium of descriptions and Website links for all nominees.
2007 Engineers' Choice Awards
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Stepper drives with graphical interface
 Applied Motion Products unveiled its ST10-Si stepper drive. ST10-Si drives deliver 24-80 V dc with an output current of up to 10 A peak. They protect against over-voltage, under-voltage, over-temp, and external output shorts, and feature 8 digital inputs and 4 digital outputs. Drives are programmable for stand-alone operation with Si Programmer Windows-based software. A graphical point-and-click format combines motion, I/O, and operator interface functionality for simple machine sequencing. Microstep Emulation allows users who need low step resolutions to benefit from smooth motion; the ST10-Si drive can take low
resolution step pulses and create fine resolution motion. Torque ripple smoothing negates the effect of inherent low speed torque ripple. Dynamic smoothing can soften effects of immediate changes in velocity and direction, while reducing wear on mechanical components.
Applied Motion Products
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Compact control panels
 Beckhoff Automation has introduced its smallest control panel, the CP6608 Ethernet control panel with 5.7-in. display. It features an integrated PC with Intel IXP420 processor and other commonly-used interfaces, making it suitable for industrial applications and building automation. The cabinet-mounted unit is equipped with two Ethernet ports with 10/100BASE-T, two fast USB 2.0 ports, and a serial RS-232 port as external interfaces. Versions include 5.7-, 6.5-, 12-, 15- or 19-inch displays. It has 32 MB of flash memory on-board, and 128 MB of on-board RAM. Windows CE is the operating system. The panel features an aluminum
front and offers IP 65 protection class at the front and IP 20 at the rear. A free Mini PCI slot offers additional flexibility.
Beckhoff Automation
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Hybrid stepper motors offer maximum acceleration
 MAE HY Series hybrid stepper motors from Ametek Technical & Industrial Products feature low rotor inertia to promote maximum possible acceleration. The motors provide accurate open-loop control and high-speed operation for a range of positioning applications. Power solutions expand with versions engineered for higher performance. Motors come in four standard NEMA frame sizes (16, 17, 23, and 42) with step resolutions of 1.8º (200 steps per rev) in full-step mode. Motor lengths range from 0.81 in. to 8.89 in., and holding torques (bipolar) from 12 oz-in. to 2018 oz-in. are achievable, depending on the model. Size 17
motors are available in enhanced high-performance versions optimized for microstep operation. All steppers incorporate precision-honed stators and ground rotors for tight air gap and improved performance.
AMETEK
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Industrial wireless infrastructure management
Apprion introduced the ION R3 wireless-infrastructure management system, which provides integration and management of facilities' wireless infrastructures, including multiple industry-leading wireless devices and wireless data from all devices on the network. The system equips industrial facilities with a secure, low-cost way to improve management of devices and systems across large networks and plant areas, enhancing plant communications and satisfying regulatory mandates. ION integrates data from multiple vendors and data sources. Through the ION Video Monitoring Application, the dashboard provides a central location to view alerts and real-time reports, manage data, users, and devices, and make informed decisions.
Apprion |
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NEMA 4X enclosure for standard PCs
 Comark Corp. introduced EnduraPC, a stainless steel enclosure designed to protect standard off-the-shelf computers against harsh environments. EnduraPC provides reliable performance in high temperatures, vibration, and washdown environments. The NEMA 4X enclosure is compatible with leading brand, small footprint desktop systems, and supports any standard 17-in. and 19-in. LCD monitor. Features include optional touchscreen capability, front access, hidden cable design, 120 W of thermal management at 40 °C (104 ºF), painted steel finish, dual internal fans with thin-fin heat exchanger plenum, and hard anodized aluminum
heat transfer design. The EnduraPC also comes with a 4-outlet power strip with surge suppression and breaker, silicone gasketing, and flexible mounting and keyboard options.
Comark Corporation
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Filter signal conditioner with individual input ground isolation
 Endevco Corp. announced its model 4999 low-pass filter signal conditioner, the first in the industry with individual input ground isolation to eliminate ground loops encountered with multiple channel measurements. The new model is suited for applications such as rotating machinery test cells and the nuclear services industry where a very low noise floor is required. The 16-channel, 2U rack-mounted 4999 offers ultra-low-noise design in a 4- or 6-pole low-pass filter conditioner that supplies excitation current to IEPE (ISOTRON, ICP) type sensors and remote charge convertors. The 4999 delivers high accuracy with low-level
vibration signals for any data acquisition system. Seven front-panel-selectable, low-pass cutoff frequencies are configurable at the factory at time of order.
Endevco
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Flowmeter for gritty oil sands separation
 The V-Cone flowmeter from McCrometer is designed for extreme process environments, such as extracting oil from tar sands. The meter operates in demanding conditions with accuracy of +0.5% of flow rate and repeatability of +0.1%. The no-moving parts design provides built-in flow conditioning, which nearly eliminates upstream/downstream straight pipe runs required by most flow meter technologies, according to the company. Separately, the advanced Marsh Multi-Mag flowmeter, designed for measuring and monitoring variable flows of stormwater run-off, measures liquid volumetric flow rates in pipes sized from 4 to 120 inches.
Using an insertable electromagnetic averaging design, Multi-Mag measures volumetric flow with accuracy up to ±1% of reading and repeatability at 0.20% of flow range.
McCrometer
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Product Exclusives
Beckhoff Embedded PC
DIN rail mounted CX1030 has 1.8 GHz Intel Pentium M processor.
Dataforth isoLynx SLX200
Browser-based data acquisition system for automation/testing
Product Research
Process Automation Systems
Readers say newer process systems are more useful, and they expect to buy more.
Monthly Product Focus studies are available detailing specific product trends in the automation, control and instrumentation areas.
Complete List of Research
Blog: Pillar to Post
Meander through the world of the industrial process industries with Peter Welander, Control Engineering's process industries editor. Look for his insights and observations on a variety of process topics. Check Peter's postings regularly and read his unique and often humorous musings.
Additional Newsletters
Weekly News
Control Engineering delivers a compendium of the hottest weekly news every Tuesday. Covering technology and application trends, industry news, and notable new products, this newsletter hits the highlights for our readers, making it easy to stay up to date with the latest automation and control issues.
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Information Control Monthly
Covering the software, controller and human machine interface areas, this newsletter brings readers information on how software is impacting plant floor operations directly and in conjunction with corporate enterprise systems, and insight into the use of hardware and software products that turn data into information.
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Process Control
Control Engineering addresses the process control industries with two separate enewsletters. The first of these newsletters, Process and Advanced Control, covers equipment and methods used to measure and manipulate the conditions of continuous and batch processes. The second, Process Instrumentation and Sensors, examines related analytical, pressure, temperature, flow, and level devices.
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Machine Control Monthly
Surveying the trends and new products for controlling machinery and production equipment, as well as the motors, drives, and motion control applied in automation and controls strategy, this newsletter covers discrete sensors, programmable controllers, CNCs, I/O modules and associated actuation, decision, measurement, and logic functions.
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System Integration Monthly
This newsletter follows developments in systems integration from its highest levels down to the more exacting issues involving control components such as cables and connectors, valves and actuators, terminal blocks, computer input devices, and digital signal processors, as well as industrial networks and the field-, device-, and sensor-level buses that connect the components and systems throughout the enterprise.
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