Upcoming Webcasts
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2013 Webcasts
Changing the Face of Industrial HMI
Now available for viewing on-demand.
Original broadcast was April 10, 2013
Click here to register and view.
Recently, industrial HMI has undergone significant technological developments. Wide-screen and multi-touch innovations will not only change the face of traditional HMIs but also enable HMIs to be used in an increasingly diverse range of markets. Through this webcast participants will learn about the benefits and possible issues of the next generation HMIs; emerging opportunities and how they’ll affect different parts of the industry. Ideas will presented from a leading editor, an HMI platform provider, and an end user so that you can get a clear picture of what the new face of industrial HMI looks like and how you can take advantage of the new developments.
Learning objectives for this webcast:
- From smart phones to multi-touch HMI
- Benefits and possible issues of multi-touch panels
- How multi-touch panels will impact HMI platform (SW/HW) providers, system integrators and end users?
- Consideration factors for designing the right HMI solution
- new application scenario
- operator experience
- new graphical user interface
- innovative panel platforms
- What HMI solutions will be available in the future?
Speaker: Jonney Chang, Director of Advantech, Industrial Automation Group
- Jonney Chang is a director of IAG, Industrial Automation Group, and is mainly responsible for the HMI (Human Machine Interface) sector of IAG including the business sections of Operator Panels, Control Panels, Thin-Client Panels and Industrial Monitors. He also led the department of Industrial HMI to be twice awarded the laurel (TPC & SPC) of 2013 iF Product Design Award in Germany and the team has become the first department to be awarded since Advantech was founded 30 years ago.
Sponsor: Advantech
Wireless Industrial Applications
Now available for viewing on-demand.
Original broadcast was March 14, 2013
One (1) RCEP / ACEC Certified Professional Development Hour (PDH) available for all attendees.
Click here to register and view.
Year after year, updates in industrial wireless technologies are among most popular Control Engineering articles and Webcasts. Experts will provide assessments of industrial wireless projects and lessons learned. An exam and certificate are available for one professional development hour (PDH), according to Registered Continuing Education Program rules (from the American Council of Engineering Companies).
Learning objectives for this industrial wireless webcast are to understand:
• Overview of industrial wireless technologies (ISA100, HART Wireless, WiFi, WiMax), including economics and how to develop a new engineering mindset
• Engineering decision criteria, including essential requirements and desired requirements
• Need for a long-term wireless strategy
• Specifications downfalls when evaluating radio aspects of the technology
• Rapid prototyping of wireless sensors in an industrial environment
• Define best practices to RF design in complex/harsh RF (radio frequency) environments, such as manufacturing/industrial/power generation facilities
• Review real examples of wireless sensor deployments in industrial environments for workforce efficiency and condition-based monitoring.
Speakers:
-Stephen Muenstermann, RoviSys Building Technologies, DC market manager previously served as the leader of wireless field solutions for a major automation company for North America and the global interface for all industrial wireless infrastructure. He has more than 10 years of experience in industrial applications, after having begun with radio frequency and communications military intelligence overseas, continuing with industrial instrumentation and commercial wireless technologies. He has written white papers and articles on wireless security, regulatory issues resolved, enterprise wireless inventory management, remote SCADA, OSHA wireless safety, and data center BMS infrastructure management, among other topics. He has consulted with major refinery, oil and gas, pharmaceutical, mission critical infrastructure, ethanol, chemical, municipal and other industries in development of wireless strategies. He has conducted more than 300 seminars on industrial wireless technology. [Answers to questions from the industrial wireless Q&A and an augmented Adobe PDF presentation from Muenstermann are available here.] www.rovisysbt.com
-Damon Brady, SAIC Energy, Environment & Infrastructure, section manager- Damon Brady, SAIC Energy, Environment & Infrastructure, section manager, has more than 15 years of technical and managerial experience in network communications and critical infrastructure services, including 10 years of experience leading network design, implementation, and integration processes for utility, energy, and public safety clients. He has expertise in telecommunications voice and data network architectures, including fiber optics, wireless local area network, point-to-point, and point-to-multipoint wireless radio technology. Brady has significant experience developing wireless and wireline communications solutions that form the basis of core infrastructures connecting critical components in smart grid infrastructures.
-Douglas Bowers, senior project manager, SAIC Energy, Environment & Infrastructure- Douglas Bowers, SAIC Energy, Environment & Infrastructure, senior project manager, has more than 15 years of experience in system integration for communication and network systems. He specializes in working with clients to identify requirements and write specifications, then taking specifications and working with SAIC development teams from design through testing/delivery. The last several years have been spent in the rapid prototyping and development of new sensor systems for industrial environments with emphasis on nuclear generation and critical infrastructure, such as airports. www.saic.com/EEandI
Moderator: Mark T. Hoske, webcast moderator, has been content manager for Control Engineering since 1994, and has authored or edited scores of articles relating to industrial wireless technologies. He’s written about automation technology topics since 1987. www.controleng.com/contribute
Sponsored by: Advantech, Moxa
2012 Webcasts (scroll down for archives)
The rocky relationship between safety and security:
Best practices for avoiding common cause failure and preventing cyber security attacks in safety systems
Now available for viewing on-demand.
Original broadcast was Nov. 6, 2012; runtime with question and answer session is one hour.
Click here to register.
In this day of open systems and integrated industrial networks, does your safety system still maintain an acceptable level of separation? Can it protect your process from cyber attacks? International safety standards (i.e. IEC 61508) press the need for independence among the multiple protection layers on an industrial site "…the EUC control system shall be independent from the E/E/PE safety-related systems and other risk reduction measures…" But does this still happen in real life? Digital safety systems (electronic/programmable electronic systems) typically have communication ports with support for open protocols, such as Modbus RTU, in order to provide diagnostics and other information relevant for running the process.
Users have connected (interfaced) safety systems to BPCS since mid 1980s and aimed to develop tighter connectivity at least since 1995, but these efforts were based on proprietary protocols until the adoption of open network protocols and Windows on industrial control systems increased the connectivity to business systems and at the same (at least in theory) exposed them to the same issues (virus, cyber attacks, etc).
This Webcast will discuss the methods used to ensure that the integration between the safety system and the BPCS DO NOT compromise Functional Independence and the best practices to secure an industrial system and in particular safety systems in this integrated environment.
Presenters:
- Luis Durán, Product Marketing Manager Safety System, Control Technologies/Process Automation, ABB
- Greg Hale, Editor/Founder, Industrial Safety and Security Source and Event Moderator
Sponsored by: ABB
Servo vs. Induction Motors: Which should be considered for what applications?
Now available for viewing on demand.
Original broadcast was Oct. 23, 2012; runtime with question and answer session is about 1:05 hr.
One (1) RCEP / ACEC Certified Professional Development Hour (PDH) available for all attendees.
Click here to register and view
Induction motor-based systems, with appropriate design, can have servo-like performance at what can be a lower price point. Which should be considered for what applications? Are there areas where either might apply? Criteria will be provided for deciding between them. An exam and certificate are available for one professional development hour (PDHs), according to Registered Continuing Education Program rules (from the American Council of Engineering Companies).
Learning objectives for this webcast:
- Overview and history of the motor technology landscape.
- Definition of terms (servos, induction motor based systems).
- Differences between the two technologies: servos vs induction motor based systems.
- Relative pros and cons from the standpoint of applications and cost.
- Criteria for choosing between the two technologies.
- A broad list of applications and practical guidelines for choosing the right technology.
Speakers:
- Muhammad Mubeen, President, Phoenix Tech Consulting
- Moderator: Mark T. Hoske, Webcast Moderator and Content Manager for Control Engineering
Sponsored by: Beckhoff Automation, Mitsubishi Electric
PACs in Process Control? Get the Best of Both Worlds with a Hybrid Control System
Archived version now available, about 1 hour with question and answer session. Original air date: Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012
Click here to register.
With the increasing presence of modern Programmable Automation Controllers (PACs), all embracing the same open Ethernet Communication standards and Object-Oriented Programming, come the benefits of commoditization including lower prices, common device compatibility, and “components off the shelf” (COTS) availability. Also, the programming and maintenance skills required of one PAC platform is easily transferrable to another, which lowers integration and training costs and increases labor flexibility and efficiency.
Until now, only traditional Distributed Control Systems (DCS) hosted a development and maintenance environment for the special needs of process applications such as seamless translation between Pipe and Instrumentation Diagram (P&ID) and controls architecture, or a common tag database between Human-Machine Interface (HMI) and control system. Such specialization has warranted the elevated cost structure of a proprietary DCS, both in initial capital investment, integration services, and MRO.
However, there has always existed a significant “gray area” between these extremes…simple process control applications that don’t quite justify the expense of a DCS, and more complex discrete applications which test the upper boundaries of PAC capability. The victims within this chasm have been left to suffer either with the inefficiencies of programming and maintaining a PAC in an overly-complex application, or with the extra costs of a DCS which is overkill for the tasks at hand.
Is it possible to achieve the same key functions of a DCS with the cost advantages of a PAC?
Join Control Engineering and Schneider Electric for this free webcast that will explore how to get the best of both the PAC and DCS features and benefits through a single hybrid control system.
During this webinar, Robb Dussault and Frank Prendergast of Schneider Electric discusses:
- The evolution of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) to PACs
- Advantages of a Distributed Control System (DCS)
- Discovering Schneider Electric (who we are today and available solutions)
- Tips on what to look for in a controls vendor
Presenters:
- Robb Dussault, Offer Marketing Manager - Industrial Automation Solutions, Schneider Electric
- Frank Prendergast, System Architect, Schneider Electric
- Moderator: Mark T. Hoske, Content Manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media
Sponsored by: Schneider Electric
Industrial Ethernet Best Practices
Archived version now posted: With Q&A, about 1 hour, 25 minutes.
Air date: Sept. 18, 2012
One (1) RCEP / ACEC Certified Professional Development Hour (PDH) available for all attendees.
Click here to register
Join Control Engineering for a Webcast to discover best practices for industrial Ethernet implementations based on experiences of two automation system integrators. Apply these lessons learned to help your current or next application design, start-up, and implementation of industrial Ethernet provide maximum benefits and quickly as possible. An exam and certificate are available for one professional development hour (PDHs), according the Registered Continuing Education Program (from the American Council of Engineering Companies).
Learning objectives for this webcast:
- Global industrial Ethernet: market overview
- Ethernet cable categories and standards for an industrial environment
- Ethernet auto-negotiation best practices
- Creating the network: LANs, VLANs, rings, stars, copper, fiber, transceivers, speed, latency, and jitter
- Sending the message: ports, packets, and protocols
- Making it industrial: power, environment, mounting, monitoring, security, and expandability
Speakers:
- Mike Robbins, Network Engineering Manager, TriCore Inc.
- Les Haman, department manager, Matrix Technologies Inc.
- Moderator: Mark T. Hoske, Content Manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media
Sponsored by: B&B Electronics, Beckhoff Automation, Advantech, and Moxa.
Arc Flash University, Session 2: NFPA 70E- 2012: Key Changes and Risk Reduction Strategies
Thursday, August 23, 2012 at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT/11 a.m. PT
1 PDH available for all registrants
Click here to register.
NFPA 70E – Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace forms the basis of OSHA 29CFR Part 1910 known as Subpart S. OSHA standards are expressed in the terms of objective criteria and of the performance desired. OSHA accepts NFPA 70E as a consensus standard with requirements to implement OSHA objectives.
This webcast will cover some key changes in NFPA 70E – 2012 and strategies for risk reduction to mitigate electrical hazards followed by a question/answer session.
Speakers:
- Daleep Mohla, Owner and Principal Consulting Engineer for DCM Electrical Consulting Services
- Bob Vavra, Plant Engineering Content Manager and Moderator
Sponsored by: Fluke Corporation, CorDEX Instruments, and Westex
Industrial Wireless: Where and When
Air Date: June 14, 2012
Where and when does it make sense, economically and operationally, to use industrial wireless for your next industrial communication application? Industrial wireless technologies continue to advance, whether you’re applying one wireless transmitter or considering a plant-wide implementation. Gain practical insights and advice from three system integrators to enhance results with your next implementation.
Speakers:
- Rafael Montandon Spinoso, Project Manager at Representaciones y Montajes S.A. de C.V. (RYMSA), a system integrator located in Mexico City
- Chuck Tommey, P.E., Senior Business Development Manager, A&E Engineering Inc., a system integrator
- Dave Foster, Vice President of Engineering for Patti Engineering, a system integrator
- Moderator: Mark T. Hoske, Content Manager, Control Engineering, CFE Media
Sponsored by: Advantech, B&B Electronics, Hirschmann
Graphic Design for HMIs
Air Date: Tuesday, May 22, 2012
The graphic capabilities of today's HMIs are virtually limitless, allowing designers to create a look in any way they see fit. But how much of this actually helps operators? Studies show that human beings are still a critical element in dealing with problems, so does your HMI support good decision making?
A case study from the University of Oregon Central Power Station Upgrade will be presented, with an emphasis on the importance of design standardization across the project. We will discuss the common impediments and constraints encountered in design, the appropriate balance of information in HMI design, the various design constraints (hardware/software/users), and how P&ID is converted to, and reflected in HMI design.
Join us for an examination of how operators and control systems relate, and how you can improve human performance.
Speakers:
- Peter Welander, Content Manager and Moderator, Control Engineering
- Jonathan Scott, PE, OI/HMI Development Lead, Portland Engineering, Inc.
- Dal Vernon Riesing, Ph.D., Senior Partner at Human Centered Solutions, ASM
Certificate of completion available to all attendees.
Sponsored by Invensys
Field Instrumentation in Process Safety Systems
Air date: Thursday, April 26, 2012
Click here to register.
When can the process control and safety systems share field devices? An SIS and BPCS can sometimes share components, but not without careful analysis. What are the relevant safety standards, and how do they answer this question? Given the high cost of many field devices, companies want to save money wherever possible but sometimes it’s at the expense of safety. Ed Marszal, president and senior engineer at Kenexis, examines this question with case study examples of correct and incorrect approaches.
This webcast will also answer the following questions:
- What is a safety sensor?
- An SIS and basic control system use the same types of devices, but what makes a safety sensor special?
Exida, a company that tests and certifies devices from all manufacturers, explains the safety certification process and why it matters in critical applications.
Speakers:
- Peter Welander, Content Manager and Moderator, Control Engineering
- Ed Marszal, President and Senior Engineer, Kenexis
- Dr. William M. Goble, CFSE, exida
Sponsored by ABB and Invensys
Is your current safety system compliant to today's safety standard?
Air Date: Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Click here to register.
Your safety automation infrastructure might have been installed while today’s safety standards (IEC61508 and IEC 61511/ISA 84) were still in development. Some of those safety systems, particularly the ones installed between the late 1980's and early 2000, are either general-purpose PLCs, or not designed as a safety system according to the IEC 61508 standard others might not satisfy current requirements on IEC61508 (Edition 2); overall they were not implemented according to the IEC 61511/ISA84 standard.
Join Control Engineering for this Webcast on Tuesday, March 20, and learn about these changes in the safety standards and the safety life cycle activities involved in modifying or decommissioning an existing system to install certified Safety Systems (i.e. System 800xA High Integrity).
Speakers:
•Luis M. Duran, Safety Systems Business Development Manager, ABB
•Greg Hale, Editor/Founder, Industrial Safety and Security Source & Webcast Moderator
2011 Webcasts
Integrated Safety: Exactly What Does This Mean?
Air Date: Thursday, December 8, 2011 at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT/11 a.m. PT
Click here to register.
A lot has been written about integration of safety and process control, the topic has been debated extensively since the majority of today’s automation systems started to incorporate (Safety Integrity Level) SIL certified Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) as an inherent part of their system.
The industry had used words such as interfaced and integration to illustrate different degrees of connectivity and functionality, sometimes using phrases such as “integrated but separate” to illustrate the undiminished safety integrity of these automation systems.
This Webcast will start with definitions of interfaced and integrated system and expand the concept of integration to include the sensors and final elements part of the SIS as well as the positive impact on the operators and their ability to better respond and resolve abnormal conditions in the plant while maintaining core industry requirements on SIS with regards to independence and integration while taking the automation investment to its full potential
Speakers:
•Luis M. Duran, Safety Systems Business Development Manager, ABB
•Peter Welander, Content Manager & Moderator, Control Engineering
Click here to register.
Justifying the Investment in FOUNDATION Fieldbus Technology in a Brownfield Environment
Air Date: Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT/11 a.m. PT
Register by clicking here.
While the greatest savings using Fieldbus technology are realized in new installations, it can also be a major advantage in modernizing brownfield facilities, as illustrated by a nuclear power plant example:
- Move from pneumatic and analog systems to fully digital instrumentation and control in one step
- Save cost and effort by avoiding intermediate and stepwise approaches
- Creating future-proof field networks and I/O compatible with legacy and modern control platforms
- Lay groundwork for more sophisticated control and asset management systems
Speakers:
- Larry O'Brien, Global Marketing Manager, Fieldbus Foundation
- Michael H. Miller, PE, Senior Consulting Engineer, Sargent & Lundy, LLC
- Peter Welander, Content Manager & Moderator, Control Engineering
Sponsored by: FOUNDATION Fieldbus
Industrial Ethernet: Application Optimization
Now On-Demand Air Date: Friday, October 7, 2011 at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT/11 a.m. PT
Register by clicking here.
What do you need to consider to optimize your next industrial Ethernet implementation? Depending on project scope and needs, you may be able to do this without relying on IT experts. This Control Engineering Webcast, sponsored by Beckhoff Automation, Moxa, and Phoenix Contact, will look at several important topics of consideration:
- Why was Ethernet chosen instead of another industrial network?
- What Ethernet protocol do you need and why?
- What are the Ethernet security considerations involved?
- Are multiple protocols used on the same Ethernet physical layer?
- What hardware architecture and topologies are needed and why?
- What should be included in your return on investment calculation?
- Should you use fiber or copper?
- What other networks are connected, how, and for what use?
Presenters:
- Joey Stubbs, PE, PMP, EtherCAT Technology Group North America
- Dan Schaffer, Network & Security Specialist, Phoenix Contact
- Jim Toepper, Product Marketing Manager, Industrial Ethernet Infrastructure, Moxa
- Mark Hoske, Content Manager & Moderator, CFE Media
Sponsored by: Beckhoff Automation, Moxa, and Phoenix Contact
Virtual/ Manufacturing Automation Summit
Now On-Demand and ready for archive viewing
Air Date: September 8, 2011
Click here to register.
Join Plant Engineering and Control Engineering for CFE’s 2nd annual Manufacturing/Automation Summit, a live virtual event with a focus on maintenance, systems management and safety. The 2011 Manufacturing/Automation Summit highlights content-rich agenda delivered by manufacturing’s top experts from companies such as General Motors and DuPont.
This exciting event is hosted by the editorial teams of both Control Engineering and Plant Engineering and offers a unique learning opportunity for manufacturing professionals by providing unprecedented access to some of the industry’s most forward thinking executives.
The Summit takes on some of manufacturing’s biggest challenges and delivers must-have how-to information on the key issues they face daily:
- Energy and Sustainability
- Maintenance as a cost center
- Automation integration
- Global strategies for manufacturers
- Presentation of the latest study, The Changing World of the Plant Engineer
Designing Your First FOUNDATION Fieldbus Installation
Now On-Demand
Air Date: Thursday, August 25, 2011 at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT/11 a.m. PT
Register by clicking here.
You’ve decided to implement FOUNDATION Fieldbus, but how should you plan your first project? Chances are you aren’t going to retrofit an entire plant, but selected areas of your plant. We’ll lead viewers through the process and tell you where to get further information, training, and resources. We’ll cover the following:
- Choosing an appropriate application
- Segment design tools and best practices
- How fieldbus changes device commissioning
- Ancillary equipment (power supplies, terminators, grounding)
- Training, education, and online resources
Presenters:
- Larry O’Brien, Global Marketing Manager, Fieldbus Foundation
- David Lancaster, PE, Certified Fieldbus Instructor
- Peter Welander, Control Engineering Content Manager, CFE Media
Register today by clicking here.
Safety Integration Archive now available on-demand
Safety can be applied two main ways. A separate hard-wired, bolted on, after-the-fact machine safety structure is more traditional, and often seen by operators and management as an impediment to productivity, and, possibly, something to circumvent when hurried. When safety is designed in and integrated into machine design or a plant floor manufacturing cell, it incorporates operator diagnostics, regulatory requirements, and productivity concerns.
Integrated safety helps ensure that safe operations do not slow throughput or becomes something to thwart to meet and exceed production goals. Safety integration also brings opportunities for gaining competitive advantage, offering greater efficiency without extra maintenance and capital costs of dedicated safety equipment and related point-to-point wiring. The speakers will give examples of where we are and where we could be with machine safety and risk assessment with OSHA and international regulations and standards.
This event is free and one learning unit will be provided upon successful completion of exam following the Webcast.
Speakers:
- Sam Boytor, president, Fox Controls Inc., is involved in international standards formation (including ANSI B11.TR6 on controls and safety circuits), and teaches seminars and classes on U.S. and International Machine Safeguarding, with a "hands-on" approach on-site, online, or at the Fox Controls Safety Lab.
- J.B. Titus, Control Engineering Machine Safety blogger, and consultant with J.B. Titus and Associates, is a professional member of ASSE, OSHA certified in machine guarding, TUV-certified Functional Safety Expert, and serves on several ANSI, NFPA, NEMA, and IEC national safety and health standards committees.
- Calvin Wallace is a Regional Sales Manager for Beckhoff Canada. Wallace has over 20 years of automation, machine safety and controls experience. He is a graduate of Fanshawe College in London, ON with an Electronics Technician degree specializing in Robotics and Process Control.
- Mark T. Hoske, Control Engineering content manager and Webcast moderator
Register and view the Control Engineering Safety Integration webcast by clicking here.
Arc Flash University 2011, Session I: Electrical Arc Flash Safety and Risk Management
Now On-Demand
This session presents an overview of the NFPA 70E 2009 Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace and the requirements of the standards, which are intended to better protect electrical workers from injury when they work on energized electrical equipment.
The types of major electrical faults that can occur in electrical equipment are presented, with a focus on arcing faults as particularly damaging and dangerous to workers and equipment. Statistical occurrences of arc flash accidents that cause significant injuries and fatalities are discussed in both human and financial terms. The presentation covers all aspects of facility and employer responsibilities for compliance to the NFPA 70E standards, as well as the current status of OSHA enforcement of these standards.
Topics:
- Characteristics and causes of arcing faults
- Statistics of arc flash accidents and results
- OSHA enforcement and legal responsibilities
- Equipment hazard warning labels
- Training for qualified persons
- Hazard levels and Personal Protective Equipment requirements
- Methods of determining arc flash hazard levels (arc flash analysis)
- Recent changes in NFPA 70E 2009 and the National Electric Code 2008
- Mitigating high hazard levels in existing systems
- Design for Safety for new electrical distribution systems
Speakers:
Joe Weigel, Product Manager, Square-D Services
Bob Vavra, Content Manager & Moderator, Plant Engineering
This event is sponsored by IRISS, UE Systems and Square-D.