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Benefits of upgrading legacy equipment for a water well expansion project
A system integrator was asked to upgrade legacy hardware and software for a water well expansion project. Learn how the PLC and HMI upgrades happened.
Automating overall equipment effectiveness in a facility
OEE is a best practice method in measuring manufacturing productivity that measures availability, performance and quality.
Developing a successful PLC, I/O system integration plan
A successful control system integration plan should cover all aspects from pre-sales planning, implementation and management excellence and communications. Project included PLC and input/output connections for system customization, redundancy, and precise control.
Model management software challenges at automotive facility
A system integrator was tasked to dig through model management software and create a new system for an automotive plant using intelligence from PLCs and HMIs.
Minimize design planning, optimize time to market
Design automation software enables mass customization, accelerates manufacturing, improves efficiencies from sales to manufacturing, and reduces lead times across functions.
Conveyor system modernization increase efficiency, minimizes maintenance costs
A Northern California candy manufacturer’s upgraded their conveyor system, which reduced overall maintenance costs and improved efficiency.
Seven tips for an engineer’s first project
An engineer's first project can be exciting and a little scary, but being prepared and open to the experience can help. Seven tips are highlighted to make the process easier.
Project management methodology simplifies kombucha operation expansion
Boochcraft Brewery, a California-based specialty brewing company, expanding their operations to meet growing consumer demand for their kombucha product.
Building a solid foundation for an automation project
Engineers should always start with a solid foundation when it comes to developing a manufacturing automation project.
Five ways to make site visits beneficial
Site visit extensions can sometimes be unavoidable for system integrators, but consider these five tips to make them more manageable and beneficial when they do occur.
Success through failure with accelerated stress testing
Breaking a product earlier in the development process with accelerated stress testing can yield many benefits.
Six steps toward eliminating obsolete controls equipment
Replacing obsolete controls equipment is inconvenient, but it is a necessary process and can be made easier with an internal audit that shows what needs to be done.
Electrical control system and modernization upgrade for power plant
Burns & McDonnell will serve as engineer-procure-construct (EPC) contractor for an electrical control system upgrade and modernization project for the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant.
Chasing ghosts in the plant
There are times when you just want to throw your hands up and call in an exorcist.
Benefits of test driven development for automation applications
Test driven development (TDD) is potentially useful for automation applications by eliminating the separate task of creating requirements and specifications by incorporating requirements into the test protocols.
Entivity moves into project management
Entivity (Ann Arbor, Mich.)—the merger of Think & Do and Steeplechase—expanded into automation project management with its introduction of Automation ProjectNet on March 5 at NMW 2001. The new offering, adapted for automation in partnership with Citadon Inc. (San Francisco, Calif.) software for construction project management, allows users to view, share, update, and route docum...
Learn from others’ mistakes in automation integration project management
Think Again: Minimize risk and maximize rewards of control system integration projects with this advice.
Company upgrades DCS platform to improve bottom line
Schneider Electric helped Dow Corning upgrade its distributed control systems (DCSs) to help Dow Corning's Carrollton, Ken., plant reduce its capital expenditure by 50%.
Top 5 Control Engineering articles October 9-15: Digital twins, system integrators and IIoT, time-sensitive networking, more
Articles about digital twins, system integrators and the IIoT, time-sensitive networking benefits, an integrated Industrie 4.0 network, and system integrator advice were Control Engineering’s five most clicked articles from October 9-15. Miss something? You can catch up here.
What makes a good engineer? Six common traits
Engineers who aspire to be great have common traits such as good communication skills, a heightened curiosity about their profession, and good analytical and mathematical abilities.
Benefits of using UML in agile development
Unified modeling language (UML) diagrams are designed to help clarify project requirements at the front end of agile development by providing a visual understanding of how a project should look and function.
Effective process change management tips for the IIoT
The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) has made some major strides for the last few years, but making it viable and easy to use on the plant floor requires a lot of planning and some culture change for companies.
Eight steps to get ready for ERP
In a successful enterprise resource planning (ERP) project, the CEO understands the ERP business case and allocates resources at the proper level to ensure that it is a success.
Improving reliability with outsourced maintenance strategy
Plant maintenance is a highly skilled operation that requires considerable resources for unexpected repairs and long-term planning for preventative maintenance programs.
In case you didn’t notice: DCS and automation upgrade examples
The April issue of AppliedAutomation focuses on DCS modernization, automation methods used in a distillery, and updating hardware and software for an automated mobile warehouse.
Proof of concept, testing for integrated vision applications
Inside machines: A control system integrator and automation vendor have jointly developed a vision lab where they will offer machine vision testing, advice, proof-of-concept work and validation services. See advice about machine vision applications.
A tale of system integration success
When looking for a system integrator, users should seek out those with knowledge, experience, reliability, and integrity.
System integrator firm appoints new CEO
Polytron, Inc., an engineering consultancy and systems integration firm based in Duluth, Ga., announced the appointment of Ronald Rich to CEO as of January 1, 2017, following the retirement of Polytron founder, Charles Jager.
Study identifies six best practices for supply chain transparency
A study from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville's Global Supply Chain Institute outlined six key practices for leveraging transparency in supply chains and making sustainability a major business driver that is driven by executive leadership.
System integrator expands Northeast operations with New York office
Superior Controls, a New Hampshire-based automation system integrator and a 2012 Control Engineering System Integrator of the Year winner, has opened an office in Albany, N.Y., to serve customers in the state.
EC: LCP DX refrigerant-based cooling for enclosures
Network Integration — Ethernet hardware: The LCP DX is a new refrigerant-based cooling solution ideal for computer rooms or individual enclosures that need cost-effective way to remove heat without the use of water or glycol. This is a Control Engineering 2017 Engineers’ Choice Awards Finalist.
System integration can boost businesses, improve efficiency
System integration and workflow automation can improve a company’s competitiveness and innovation by putting the precise information needed in front of the user.
Managing automation upgrades, retrofits
From minor modifications to major overhauls, an automation system will significantly change during its lifecycle. Good planning, research, and following these guidelines can ensure a successful upgrade.
How system integrators, plant owners should collaborate on an automation project
When a plant owner and an automation system integrator are planning an automation project, both sides have to agree on the direction for the project to ensure success as well as understand and respect each other’s priorities and expectations to develop a fruitful, long-term relationship.
Upgrading secondary control systems
Companies are considering upgrades for primary process control systems, but upgrades for secondary control systems can be just as important and are often easier to implement.
Top 5 Control Engineering articles, September 7-13: Common VFD myths, control panel standards, system integration management, more
Articles about common VFD myths, industrial control panel builders changing standards, system integration management tips, ladder logic advice, and emerging IIoT trends were Control Engineering’s five most clicked articles from September 7-13. Miss something? You can catch up here.
Legal advice for system integrators, manufacturers
Think again about legalities: Attorneys provide company-saving advice for system integrators, automation firms, and manufacturers at the 2015 Control System Integrator Association (CSIA) Executive Conference.
Bulkhead mounted housings for extreme conditions
Harting's Han B IP67 bulkhead mounted housings provide IP66 and IP67 protection and allows for temporary, full immersion in water and is designed for applications in extreme conditions such as wind turbines, construction cranes, railway and marine installations.
CSIA announces board of directors
The Control System Integrators Association selected Mike Miller from ESCO Automation to be chairman of the board and elected four new directors.
Using the Control Engineering Global System Integrator Database
When a manufacturing company or other customer buys sophisticated automation technologies, the success of the implementation and the ultimate value depends on the technical talent and delivery skills of the system integrators who implement the solution. Use the Control Engineering Global System Integrator Database to find the best system integrator for the solution.
System Integrator of the Year: Polytron
Polytron is the 2015 System Integrator of the Year in the mid-size system integrator category.
Using a framework to define controls project requirements
This 6-point framework for defining requirements for a controls project helps save time and effort while ensuring the project stays on track. Understand control project requirements, tie them to business goals, and stay true to your design to improve project success.
Modernizing automation for competitive advantage
Technology Update: Modernizing equipment and facilities to take advantage of the newest trends that optimize efficiency is called intelligent modernization. Big data access and analysis from the plant to the enterprise are key to any automation and controls modernization. See 3 steps to intelligent modernization.
How to improve machine design estimates, workflow
One of the most difficult project management tasks when quoting machinery design or machine retrofit projects is determining time and resources required. Estimates determine if you get the job and if it makes a profit or loses money. Project scheduling, mechanical, and electrical design software and the advice below can help
Can your communication networks support an automation upgrade?
Before you deploy a new HMI, install new software to support mobile devices, or add a loop tuning utility—make sure your networks can handle the increased traffic without bogging down.
Changing face of the automation system integration industry
Growth and changing demographics of the automation system integration industry have influenced how system integrators have grown, specialized, and concentrated in specific regions and industries over time. Control Engineering 2014 System Integrator of the Year winning companies (Cogent Industrial Technologies Ltd.; Insist Avtomatika LLC; and the Automation and Control business unit at Wood Group Mustang) responded.
Evolution of the control system integration industry
The role of system integrators has changed over three decades, driven by their customers’ wants, needs, and desires.
System Integrator Giants of 2014
The 2014 System Integrator Giants boast a $396 million increase in system integration revenue, a greater concern for the economy’s impact on the automation integrator market, and a strong belief in educational and mentoring programs for employees.
Continued Growth in Asia for Electronic Control Relays
According to the latest IHS study, a trend towards more efficient control of electrical systems in industrial applications continues to influence growth, particularly in developing regions.
2014 ARC Industry Forum: Optimize system integration project benefits
To optimize benefits in automation or controls system integration projects, avoid the madness and pitfalls by applying Tom Braydich’s, former director of electrical engineering at the Campbell Soup Co., principles of success.
Best practices for systems integrators bolster business, says CSIA
Calling for a more a nuanced approach to systems integration, Robert Lowe, executive director of the Control Systems Integrators Association (CSIA), prescribed a culture of quality and a system or program for achieving member firms’ business goals. A webinar reviewed the CSIA Best Practices Manual and implementation strategies in it.
Using the Automation Integrator Guide
2014 Automation Integrator Guide: How to use the guide to system integrators in print, online. At bottom, link to all the articles in this year's guide.
Excellence in Automation: System Integrator of the Year Awards
For 2014, Control Engineering recognizes the best automation system integrators in the business.
7 keys to successful automation
Automation Integrator Guide: Successful automation projects contain these seven elements. How many will your next project contain?
Veterinary medicine process control programming
Project profile: Optimation was contacted by another system integrator to provide programming services for a client in the pharmaceutical industry. The client had a new process involving the manufacture of veterinary medicine.
Control system integrators buoyed by growth in manufacturing
Many of the 11 of 18 manufacturing industries showing favorable business conditions in a recent ISM report are thanks to integrator members of the CSIA, the organization says.
EC: Galileo Software
Software - HMI software: Eaton Galileo 8.0 software is designed to optimize performance of the Eaton XV Series of human machine interfaces, and helps OEMs expedite time to market with an easy-to-learn operator interface project design environment. This is a Control Engineering 2014 Engineers’ Choice finalist.
System integration survey results show increase in spending for next year
Think Again: Control Engineering research report shows most survey respondents are involved in system integration, and they’ll be spending more next year. Survey respondents provide advice about system integration, below.
10 steps to a smoother automation system upgrade
When migrating or upgrading your automation system, don’t forget to examine this group of areas outside of the HMI, controllers, and I/O. These suggestions will help you identify and deal with lurking problems early in the process.
Custom automation vs. commercial-off-the-shelf, or both?
How to automate is as important as when. Custom is not a four-letter word. Weigh the benefits of COTS and a custom solution, rather than restricting an automation project view to a COTS or custom solution. Don’t assume that custom solutions are bad. See graphics that illustrate.
Integration fit for purpose
Engineering and IT Insight: Choose the best integration model using the five criteria provided for a robust, easy to expand, debug, and maintain system. Choosing the wrong model results in a system that is brittle, difficult to maintain, and has unneeded complexity. Table adds more information.
Earned value in control engineering projects
Is the project that you’re working on making any money? Here’s a way to find out before it’s too late.
System Integrator Giants of 2013
The 100 largest system integrators in the industrial automation business—who they are and what they do.
Steam production plant getting automation upgrade
Honeywell is sending an automation solution for the KWH Mirka plant in Jepua, Finland, and is scheduled to be completed before the end of 2013.
CSIA Best Practices offer project management planning guidance
The Control System Integrators Association Best Practices and Benchmarks covers the use of project plans, providing advice on project management, including the following tips.
Collaboration, visibility key to successful project automation plan
Automation project roadmaps: Successful automation projects use a project management plan to keep on the right track. Yogi Berra once said, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else.”
LNG export facility will use online gas chromatographs to monitor product quality
ABB to provide process analyzers for Cheniere Energy’s new Sabine Pass LNG export facility on the gulf coast.
OOO Kirishinefteorgsintez’s Kirishi refinery takes on major control system upgrade
Refinery will deploy Honeywell Experion PKS and Advanced Alarm Manager during automation upgrade of its gas fractionating unit’s compressor block and the crude distillation unit.
E.ON Russia upgrades automation at one of Europe’s largest thermal power plants
Emerson’s Ovation control system will be installed during shutdown. Utility aims at improving operational efficiencies and reliability at Russia’s Surgut-2 Power Plant.
Automation project road map: Advice for the journey
Project management advice: Thinking of the automation project as a journey helps ensure safe and secure arrival, while keeping project detours and road bumps to a minimum. Planning, schedule, validation, and follow-up are key.
System Integrators of the Year for 2013
Automation Integrator Guide cover story: Control Engineering recognizes the best system integrators in the industrial automation business. The winners are...
Manufacturing IT book expands on Control Engineering advice from Dennis Brandl
Plant IT: Integrating Information Technology into Automated Manufacturing, a book by Momentum Press, expands upon many Control Engineering manufacturing IT columns by Dennis Brandl.
What makes a good system integrator good?
Automation Integrator Guide: Criteria help in selecting the best automation system integrator for your next project.
A new era of energy management
Network protocol translators and other new technology make it easier for manufacturers to execute strategic energy management programs.
Technologies inside: Power regeneration system, power not heat
Case study technologies: Briggs & Stratton worked with Rockwell Automation to develop a new power regeneration system that captures wasted energy, expects to save $50,000 per year, and modernizes data collection and control system using variable frequency drives, programmable logic controller, industrial energy management software, human-machine interface, and historian software from Rockwell Automation.
Engineering document control, numbering, transmittals: Build a flexible solution
Advice follows on how to improve Microsoft SharePoint’s use for sophisticated document control, numbering, and transmittals capabilities.
How agile are you? Software development in MES
Creating an appropriate level of flexibility that is still manageable in large-scale software development projects.
Latest CSIA Best Practices and Benchmarks Manual clarifies existing practices
The Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) recently released version 4.0 of its Best Practices and Benchmarks Manual, the industry standard for managing a successful integration business. Jeff Miller, director of automation services at Interstates Control Systems and chair of CSIA’s Best Practices Committee, shares details on the latest release.
System Integrator Giants of 2012
These 100 firms represent the largest system integrators of 2012, from among 2,334 in the Automation Integrator Guide.
Control system integrator guide explains the benefits of CSIA Certification
A CSIA Certified control system integrator can provide insight on how to invest in new or updated infrastructure to improve production capacity.
Connect to integrators, control system integration services
The new CSIA website is designed to integrators and buyers of control system integration services.
CSIA releases version 4.0 of Best Practices and Benchmarks Manual
A newly released version of the Control System Integrators Association’s Best Practices and Benchmarks Manual includes a new section establishing best practices for service and support functions.
Top 10 guidelines to help choose the right system integrator
There are no widely adopted business and technical standards for the system integrator industry, so setting benchmarks and selection criteria can help you sleep better with the decision.
CSIA: Newly certified members, news
Several engineering firms have been CSIA Certified and/or recertified.
Choose the right system integrator: Criteria list
Break down the decisions crucial to selecting the right system integrator for your project. Like selecting a vehicle, decide which criteria matter the most and which are “nice to have” extras. Create a list of choices, narrow the list by considering the capabilities, factor in the price and location, and then take some test drives. See checklists.
Automation engineering services: In-house or hired out?
Need automation engineering services? Value and involve in-house automation engineers, select the right outsourced team, help the hired system integrator understand the business, and play an active role with everyone focused on clearly defined project results.
Production Energy Optimization Profile
Industrial Energy Management: We can’t necessarily see energy being wasted, but it can be identified and tracked on the road to lower costs in manufacturing and process industries.
Project management: All hands on deck may sink the project
Engineering and IT Insight: When you call “All hands on deck!” to help finish a late project, ensure that all of the extra resources don’t further sink the project. If adding extra people at the end of a project, apply them to independent subtasks, use experienced people, and organize work to minimize required intra-project communications.
System Integration: Outsourcing Automation Services
How to make a business case for getting help with automation support services and ensure you get the right skill sets for the processes and technologies needed.
CSIA certifies company, 18 new member companies
The Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) announced NOFFZ Computer Technology, became CSIA Certified. In addition, eight companies joined as associate members; three as participating members; and seven companies became partner members.
Building your house of software
Engineering and IT Insight: To stay on time and in budget, software project managers need to prepare for challenges with other organizations, develop a flexible plan and schedule to handle uncontrollable delays, develop an external communication plan, and develop plans to use resources for other parts of the project when there are delays.
Nightmare recovery
How to avoid nightmare system integration projects: When an automation project is far astray, there may be a point where you must call in reinforcements to clean up rather than scrap it. Here’s how to recover from that nightmare project and what signs might point to a future nightmare.
2012 System Integrator of the Year Award Winners
Control Engineering proudly presents its 2012 System Integrators of the Year.
CSIA adds, recertifies six members
The Control Systems Integrators Association added or recertified six members to the group.
Leader Under 40: Chad Harper
Operations Manager, Maverick Technologies – BS Chemical Engineering, University of Arkansas
Leader Under 40: Graham Nasby
Engineer, Eramosa Engineering Inc. – BS Engineering Systems + Computing, Computer Science, University of Guelph; Certificate in project management, University of Waterloo; Certified project management professional, Project Management Institute; BA History (in progress), University of Guelph
Launching a gas turbine control upgrade project
Knowing how to engage with prospective suppliers when requesting a proposal will enable a good decision and lower your risk.
New members welcomed, re-certified into CSIA
The CSIA recertified and welcomed more than 20 companies from all over the world into the group recently.
Integrated process and motor controls help extract oil from Grizzly Oil Sands
steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) technology lowered Canadian oil sands production costs using Rockwell Automation's PlantPAx process automation system, motor controls, and variable frequency drives.
TNK-BP, Russian oil producer, increases environmental compliance, safety with control systems, instrumentation
Invensys has agreed to provide automation solutions and services to TNK-BP, the third largest oil company in Russia.
Think Again: Walt Disney Imagineering, NASA space travel
What do Walt Disney Imagineering and NASA space travel have in common? Engineering inspiration.
New Pickle Line Tandem Cold Mill: steel controls in China
TMEIC GE will supply the electrical and automation controls system for the new Pickle Line Tandem Cold Mill (PLTCM) in China. See related articles.
CSIA: next-term system integrator leaders, 12% membership gain
Control System Integrators Association announced new leadership at its 2011 annual conference in April and noted a 12% gain in CSIA membership during the past year. Stephen M. Goldberg was elected to a three-year term as chairman. Link to more CSIA news.
2011 Automation Summit: Navigating the World of Automation by Siemens Industry Inc.
Siemens Industry Inc. holds its 2011 Automation Summit, "Navigating the World of Automation," June 27-30 at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts in Orlando, FL.
7 CSIA certifications, new members
The Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) recently announced new members and recertifications, 7 in March and 21 in February.
Kaizen event: 7 important tips for more efficient manufacturing
Improving efficiency with a Kaizen event requires specific planning, a cross-functional team, operator involvement, and four other important attributes.
CSIA Certification: System integrator best business practices
Of course your company has computer backups, disaster recovery plans, and internal financial controls, but does your control system integrator? Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) advice to control system integrators can help any company’s business practices.
Engineering and IT Insight: Keep documentation in sync with code
Deferring software documentation based on highly optimistic perfection expectations (HOPE) is not a successful project strategy. Link to all 7 Bad Habits of Unsuccessful Projects.
AAI joins JMP Engineering, expands batch, energy expertise
Automation Applications Inc., LLC, an industrial engineering and systems integrator has joined JMP Engineering Inc., expanding JMP's client base and knowledge in batch automation and industrial energy.
Design group expands facility national practice with acquisition of Delphey-Gerdes Engineering
Barry-Wehmiller Design Group has expanded its facility design national practice with the acquisition of Delphey-Gerdes Engineering, an architectural and engineering firm serving the food processing and other industries in the Western U.S.
Stay involved, get the most from an automation project
Automation system integrators advise end users to keep track of what’s happening at every stage of an automation project. Here’s what to watch for to ensure you get what you want.
CSIA 2010: Growth, change
Control System Integrators Association provides a positive state-of-the-association look at 2010.
The best in automation system integration, 2011
Control Engineering recognizes the best in automation, controls, and instrumentation system integration with our fifth annual System Integrator of the Year awards, the cover story in the 2011 Automation Integrator Guide, part of the December 2010 Control Engineering and Plant Engineering issues. The 2011 winners are ....
Laurens VanPagee, among Control Engineering Leaders Under 40 for 2010
Want to meet the next generation of manufacturing automation and controls leaders? In November 2010, Control Engineering highlights 19 young professionals from around the globe who are making their marks in everything from system design to academia. These leaders aim to inspire others to get involved in engineering and resolve local and global challenges through smarter applications of automation and control technologies. Meet Laurens VanPagee ...
Jaime Navarro, among Control Engineering Leaders Under 40 for 2010
Want to meet the next generation of manufacturing automation and controls leaders? In November 2010, Control Engineering highlights 19 young professionals from around the globe who are making their marks in everything from system design to academia. These leaders aim to inspire others to get involved in engineering and resolve local and global challenges through smarter applications of automation and control technologies. Meet Jaime Navarro ...
IT and Engineering Insight: Control architecture, who needs it?
If you have a large control software programming project and no control system architect, small changes can lead to dead ends and bad decisions.
IT and Engineering Insight: Seven habits of unsuccessful projects
Understanding if you are in an out-of-control IT project is important. Here are some traits of failing or soon-to-fail projects. If you have three or more of these project attributes, you need a project "reboot."
Newsprint producer upgrades paper machine control system
Aylesford Newsprint orders new process control system and commissioning services from Metso for its PM14.
Siemens to provide hardware, software, and services for U.S. Navy power monitoring project
The company will supply advanced electrical power meters, WinPM.Net energy monitoring software and implementation engineering services for the Navy's Southwest Advanced Metering Infrastructure project.
4 strategies for managing engineering contractors
Engineering organizations seek to manage costs while recruiting and retaining good talent. Here are 4 key strategies to better manage engineering contractors.
Excellence in Automation: 2010 System Integrator of the Year Awards
And the winners are...... Every year since 1993, Control Engineering has compiled and updated the Automation Integrator Guide, an online resource to help readers find the design and implementation services they need for their industrial automation and control projects. Choosing among the now nearly 1,800 integrators listed can be a challenge, even with multi-parameter search capabilities.
Epicor says "shared benefits" program will reduce both the risk and cost of implementing ERP
Under the Epicor Shared Benefits program, Epicor will bill the customer half of its normal hourly consulting rate for all work that exceeds the original estimated budget. Customers also must agree to split any cost savings with Epicor if a project comes in under budget.
Textile Manufacturer Closes Loop On Sustainability
Mount Vernon Mills has long been recognized for its industry leading environmental initiatives that meet or exceed regulatory requirements. Its programs also extend to helping its customers comply with regulations.
Automation project scheduling tips
On-boarding and ramp-up time can constitute a month or more of non-productive time and be a substantial part of project cost, especially when using offshore resources. Here's how to reduce waste.
Intel: Seven steps to a lower-cost supply chain
Setting up a part-time all-star supply chain team helped create collaboration needed to drive down supply chain costs to support Intel's new lower-priced Atom processor family. Now the successful approach is being applied across Intel. Here's how.
SmartDraw 2010 has Microsoft Visio Filter and Sharepoint collaboration
Upgraded SmartDraw 2010 has large project management and integrates better with Microsoft tools, which will substantially reduce the Microsoft Visio monopoly, SmartDraw.com says.
Planning Cuts Automation Project Risk
System integrators share tips on how avoiding surprises helps them succeed. Clear communications and documentation top the list. Tools follow for project management.
New production line in record time
A tightly controlled integration plan and the right technology partner helped steelmaker Southland Tube beat the competition.
Seven steps to a lower-cost supply chain
About a year ago, Intel realized that selling new-platform microprocessors at one-fifth the cost of the Intel Pentium microprocessor would require significant rethinking of its supply chain strategies. "The results changed how Intel projects will be done in the future, and we're looking at how we can capture what we learned and improve the rest of the supply chain," said James R.
CSIA Partner Members Speak Out on the Value of Certification
At the end of the day, both system integrators and CSIA Partner Members (vendors) want nothing more than for their customers to be satisfied. They strive to provide sound solutions through their quality products and services, and they work hard to maintain a positive image in the eyes of their customers so those customers keep coming back.
Seeking Certification? CSIA-approved Auditors are Here to Help
Businesses looking for CSIA certification or any other internationally recognized standard know they must jump through a variety of hoops and withstand a great deal of trepidation before becoming certified. To get through this process, some organizations contact the auditing agency for guidance and ask questions regarding the process.
Honeywell to help B. Braun Healthcare double manufacturing capacity of life-critical products
Honeywell Process Knowledge System technology to drive production efficiency and manage quality at German nutrition factory
Engineers: In the Navy, you can find a new career
In the Navy, you can be an engineer. Naval Sea Systems Command finds new civilian engineering recruits among displaced auto industry workers, without having to enlist.
New DOE request has $2.3 billion for efficient, renewable energy-related technologies, research
Significant investments targeted at hybrids and plug-in hybrids, smart grid technologies, and scientific research and innovation.
Houston area utility to deploy wireless network for smart metering
CenterPoint Energy awards GE Digital Energy the contract to provide wireless network infrastructure to reach 2.4 million consumers. See photo.
The real thing: New metric reveals the true impact of ideas on the bottom line
Researchers say they are seeing an uptick in the number of companies that want to know how to measure research & development productivity. Now vendors are offering new solutions that facilitate determining the costs behind the innovation process.
Open Source Project: Free resources for people who lead change
Rick Maurer, change management expert and best-selling business author, announces the launch of Open Source Project , an online resource that includes the e-book titled Introduction to Change without Migraines , where Maurer explains his approach to leading change.These resources are free.Maurer has helped hundreds of organizations of all sizes—from Lockheed Martin to Rohm & Haas—understand and implement change. Now he shows people how they can lead change on their own.The Open Source project gives leaders and consultants free tools so that they can build support for change in their organizations. But more important, it allows people to "get under the hood" and tinker with the theory.The Open Source Project has short videos, an outline for a half-day Change without Migraines training session, and a presentation depicting Maurer’s Cycle of Change theory, as well as Three Levels of Resistance and Support.Says Maurer, "I want people to improve my theory and practice of change management.
Petrobras launches five-year refinery upgrade program
Brazilian refinery upgrades center on sophisticated automation improvements for process and energy control. Included is the ABB System 800xA platform. Link to more.
Lead-time alert: When the economy gets bad, project-based companies create more cash
By staying away from the traditional “cut back on all expenses and lay people off” approach, successful project execution management-oriented companies can generate more money more quickly. Not only will the project approach keep companies vibrant now, but it will increase market share and enlarge profits in the near future when the economy returns.
Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) hires Lynda J. Patterson, MS, CAE, as president
Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) has a president. Here's why it's a good thing.
Development environment for custom 802.11 applications
Lantronix, Inc. has announced an enhanced Software Development Kit (SDK) for its 32-bit MatchPort products to provide a development environment for creating custom applications for Lantronix’ products. The release builds on the company’s MatchPort AR developer’s kit, which was released in March, by incorporating wireless support for the secure, embedded wireless networking mod...
Online and in-line: SMBs will benefit from Siemens PLM resource center
In a new initiative, Siemens PLM Software shows customers how to reduce customer delivery by 50 percent, reduce engineering change orders by 40 percent, and save 30 percent in physical prototyping costs.
Latin American DCS market growing despite economic woes, ARC Advisory Group says
Developing economies like Latin America continue to offer good growth for many suppliers in the process industries. The distributed control systems (DCS) market in Latin America will grow at the average annual rate near 10% through 2012, to nearly $1.5 billion, says ARC Advisory Group.
Business Made Easy: New enterprise offering from Exact Software serves up recession relief for SMBs
The Exact Software Business Made Easy solution is said to give small businesses the power of Exact's Synergy software in economical, pre-configured templates that decrease implementation and training requirements. Offered at an attractive price point, the solution allows companies to manage everyday activities accounting, human resources, and sales & marketing. Originally designed to help smaller companies meet the same European Union standards as their larger counterparts, Business Made Easy can be adapted to each environment, giving it a competitive advantage over small point solutions that force companies to change the way they operate. Beginning with an in-depth interview with each client, Exact Software pre-configures the solution based on existing business processes.
Panorama polling: New report says ERP implementations take longer, cost more, yield less satisfaction
Implementing an ERP project in the estimated time, for the estimated cost, and with satisfying results is a rare occurrence. Streamlining internal planning and organizational change processes will generate a better ROI.
Hybrid approach to system design
The age-old debate among system designers and their managers is whether to use top-down or bottom-up design techniques. Experience shows that a hybrid approach works best. Top down To use the top-down method, the designer starts with the big picture and works down to the details. The top level looks generally at what the prospective user wants the system to do and the major specifications.
System integrator Bay-Tec Engineering becomes part of Emerson Process Management
Bay-Tec Engineering became part of Emerson Process Management, expanding Emerson's capabilities to provide technical and management services for the consultation, design, engineering, and implementation of process automation systems.
From IT integration to panel building, one mine at a time
A world-leading diamond exploration company developed Canada’s first fully underground diamond mine. The mine, located in the mineral rich, sparsely populated Northwest Territories, is marked by harsh tundra, thick forests, and vast prairie landscapes. The mine site stretches over 500 hectares, with production rate estimates of 3,150 tonnes of diamond ore per day and 1,500,000 carats per ...
Rockwell Automation to acquire Xi’An Hengsheng Science & Technology Company Ltd.
Automation for electrical power and other heavy process industries in China gets a boost with Rockwell Automation's agreement to acquire Xi'An Hengsheng Science & Technology Co.
Help for engineers: 4 tips on working smarter, not longer
SmartDraw.com offers engineering management tips. Story includes links to graphs, free download, more advice.
CAD / project management integration supports distributed engineering
Online project management software links to SolidWorks so users can manage a project’s progress from within their own CAD tools.
Integrated systems for energy: Automation helps with production of windmills, oil, gas
More windmill towers at lower cost and more efficient oil and gas production will result from recent system integration of motion, drives, and automation upgrades by TMEIC GE and Honeywell Process Solutions.
Taxpayers beware: New survey shows cost of troubled projects worldwide
According to research conducted jointly by ESI International and the project benchmarking company Independent Project Analysis (IPA), troubled projects are costing taxpayers millions. Study findings confirm these points: 34 percent of all projects succeed. An average of 15 percent of all projects fail. Projects that are considered “challenged”—usually due to cost or schedule overruns—account for 51 percent of all projects. The lost dollar value for U.S. projects in 2002 alone is estimated at $38 billion, with another $17 billion in cost overruns, for a total project waste of$55 billion against $255 billion in project spending ( Source: The Standish Group 2003 ). 59 percent of organizations in the Asia-Pacific region had at least one project failure with an average cost of $8.9 million. Africa, Europe, and the Americas followed suit with an average of 56 percent of the organizations reporting at least one project failure with an average cost of $11.6 million ( Source: KPMG International 2003 ). “Tangible results require tangible skills. Effective project management can save organizations millions, if not billions of dollars in lost revenue,” says J.
Mastering the Juggling Act
The first in a special Design News feature series on project management explores the growth of this high-stakes engineering field – and essential tools to meet job challenges.
Global Markets for Machine Automatic Safeguarding Components and Equipment
Venture Development Corporation recently completed a worldwide market study on machine automatic safeguarding components and equipment. This white paper highlights some of the principal findings of this investigation. The study report provides much more detailed findings by product types and features, geographic markets, applications and industries, user needs, competitors, and much more.
Engineering masters degree online
A recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) points out that engineers need to continue their education to keep up with advancements and technologies in their fields. In an effort to help engineers achieve this without interrupting their careers, Penn State's World Campus, a unit of Penn State Outreach, is accepting applications for a new online masters degree in systems engin...
IT adopts a service mentality
Change management has long been a byword in manufacturing. Many won't think of altering a product design, bill of material, production line layout, inventory plan, or supply chain schedule without careful impact analysis or simulation. “Because we do government contracts, we can't simply allow buyers to make a substitution for a part specified in the manufacturing bill of material,”...
10 tips to improve project management
Launch and manage projects more efficienctly with these tips.
SCADA upgrade: PID, supervisory control and data acquisition
Napa, CA, and Paradise, CA – A major upgrade to an irrigation district supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system was approved in late January. The upgrade and system integration project includes the following.
PTC unveils new version of Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire, plans for CoCreate
Some might find it ironic that PTC, the originator of parametric modeling, now has its own “explicit” modeler. The new modeler comes with the $250-million acquisition of CoCreate that PTC announced in late November. “PTC built the very first parametric modeler,” says James Heppelmann, PTC EVP and chief product officer.
Engineering blogs: Impedance, automation protection, to the moon, garbage cars, SCADA database
Oak Brook, IL — Five Control Engineering blogs include information about impedance measurement, protecting automation and those around it, robots on the moon, cars that run on garbage, and SCADA database and final system integration project documentation. Each recently updated blog has a mechanism for readers to post comments, questions, or related links. Information on each engineering blog follows, with links.
Control Engineering announces 2008 System Integrator of the Year Award winners
Oak Brook, IL - Control Engineering magazine today announced the winners of the 2008 System Integrator of the Year award.
Renewed partnership: Westinghouse, Emerson join for nuclear plants
Nuclear power plants (and many conventional power plants as well) are not known for their cutting-edge automation technology. Nuke plants have been particularly slow to adopt more modern approaches due to the strict controls placed on them by regulating bodies such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). However, with new nuclear plants once again a real possibility, the time has come to make some serious automation upgrades.
AMA benefits on tap for APICS members
APICS The Association for Operations Management says a new agreement with the American Management Association (AMA) gives APICS members access to new business education products, services, and resources—including special pricing on all AMA seminars, customized programs, Webcasts, executive forums and books, and AMA research.
Application portfolio management: a necessity for future IT
Most business executives see IT as a bit of a black hole. The shifting sands of new technologies make it difficult to understand what should be invested in next. Making the wrong technology investment choices—or even stalling when the time comes—can cause a downward spiral that eventually affects the entire enterprise.
Mustang serving growing automation business in South
Houston, TX—Mustang Engineering, an independent services provider to the global oil, gas, chemical, and manufacturing industries and a subsidiary of international energy company John Wood Group, is expanding its Mustang Automation and Control business (MAC) into Greenville, S.C., to support the company’s growth in the region.
Real-time temperature monitoring meets up with European shipments
Three supply chain execution specialists arepiloting a real-time temperature sensing system for monitoring shipments of pharmaceuticals to meet strictEuroperegulations.
New project: BP Chemical facility expansion in China, upgrades to digital control
BP’s purified terephthalic acid (PTA) plant expansion in Zhuhai, China has awarded a contract to Emerson Process Management to engineer and manage the automation project, using the company’s PlantWeb digital architecture with FOUNDATION Fieldbus technology for process control and data management. When the project is complete, plant designers expect that it will be the world’s most efficient PTA producer. As the main instrument vendor, Emerson will be responsible for the detailed design, including the engineering and implementation of new digital architecture. Working from Emerson’s chemical center in Pudong, Shanghai, engineers will plan and manage the automation portion of the project, including integrating PlantWeb digital architecture with its advanced control, safety, and asset optimization technologies. "We are pleased at this new opportunity to combine our technology with the solutions skill of our chemical center and the engineering supervision and project management leadership in our Singapore office,” says John Berra, president, Emerson Process Management.
Six ways to ensure an ERP implementation delivers value
Any moderately experienced IT or manufacturing manager has likely been involved in one or more enterprise software implementation projects, complete with all the standard tips for project success: secure a strong executive-level sponsor, create a detailed project plan in advance, and make sure enough people are dedicated to the project.
Open PLM solution ties manufacturing, quality, customer information back to product record, audit trail
As manufacturers demand more from their business systems, product life-cycle management (PLM) software vendors in particular must respond to changing market requirements with solutions that allow collaboration across the extended enterprise. Omnify Software, a PLM vendor focused on the electronics, medical device, mechanical, and defense industries, offers a case-in-point.
Distribution: Microchip Technology development software available via download
Engineers now can purchase Microchip Technology 's embedded-development software via a "software for sale" download capability that reduces cost and increases ease of use. The first products available through microchipDIRECT are the MPLAB C18 and MPLAB C30 C compilers. Derek Carlson, vice president of development tools, said, "We see customers becoming more and more comfortable with the Internet as a vehicle to learn and prepare themselves for their embedded design projects." Carlson said that although free student editions of the compilers have been available electronically for several quarters, there had been "no way for customers to access the compilers electronically.
PLC products: Correction
ABB AC500 The following products should have been among those described in Product Research, November 2006, p. 72, but were inadvertently left off. Read the article Product Research: PLC Users Like What They Have ." ABB : A maximum of options for all-around benefits The AC500 from ABB offers options for a wide choice of communication couplers to customize automation systems to suit individual requirements.
RFID transponder use surges
Global market for RFID (radio frequency identification) transponders reached an estimated $750 million in 2005, according to Venture Development Corp.'s RFID Business Planning Service. The company anticipates the market to show a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of nearly 26% through 2010, with revenue shipments projected to exceed $2.
Project: Baton Rouge Wastewater Pump Station SCADA System (September 19, 2006)
As a former Boy Scout myself , I can attest to the fact that unexpected things happen — in business and in life. I am Mark Medley, the replacement engineer talked about in last week's blog. About a month ago, I suddenly experienced some chest pain that sent me to the hospital.
Nascent Asian WiMAX market gains momentum
A recent report from In-Stat covering the WiMAX industry found that it is accelerating in the Asia Pacific region while still facing uncertainty with technology and business. The total APAC market is valued at $106.4 million in 2006 and is forecast to grow to $4.3 billion by 2011. That market includes WiMAX CPEs, WiMAX base stations, and WiMAX commercial services, but excludes the non-radio-access portion of WiMAX products. The report also found that equipment vendors, including chip set makers, CPE (customer premises equipment) makers, and system solution providers, need to quickly adopt the latest technical specifications and optimize equipment performance.
Rexel acquires GE Supply, augments electrical distribution offerings
The Rexel Group and GE Consumer & Industrial, a unit of General Electric, agreed that Rexel will acquire GE Supply , GE's electrical distribution business. Rexel’s acquisition will total $725 million and continue the company’s plans for consolidation of the electrical distribution industry. Rexel says it is a significant player in the $64 billion U.S. market for electrical products through Rexel Inc., which posted $2.5 billion in sales in 2005.
Invensys, Apprion deploy wireless infrastructure at PPG Industries
Boston, MA—The first phase of a comprehensive managed wireless infrastructure at PPG Industries' chlor-alkali chemical manufacturing complex in Lake Charles, LA, is complete.
Stronger brew: GEA Group takes over Huppmann
GEA Group AG expects to strengthen the brewery business unit of its Process Engineering Division with acquisition of the Huppmann Group AG. Huppmann is a global supplier of equipment to the brewery industry and a leading brew-house specialist. Huppmann, based in Kitzingen, near Würzburg, in southern Germany, has annual sales in the region of €60 million. GEA Group will now be able to meet all the process engineering requirements of the international brewing industry, the company says, in both the hot and cold segments. “Acquisition of Huppmann AG is a strategically important step for the GEA Group.
System integrator Advanced Automation expands westward
Advanced Automation Inc., based in Exton, PA, expands with a new office in Overland Park, KS, its first location in that U.S. region. Michael Gansman will serve as district business manager, the company said in a late April announcement.
Brands combine to form new fluid control group
Littleton, CO—Several Norgren brands are combining to form a new fluid control group. FAS, Webber, Buschjost, and KIP make up the organization, which will focus on fluid control valves, systems, and solutions to provide customers with more resources, expertise, and breadth of product range.
Nuclear firm to integrate enterprise with engineering
Huntsville, AL—Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL), a nuclear technology company, has signed a multi-year pact with Intergraph Corp. to integrate SmartPlant Enterprise with other AECL project delivery application tools.
System Integrator Certification Catches On
It's been five years since the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) began auditing its members to assess their compliance with the organization's Best Practices and Benchmarks Guidelines (Control Engineering, May 2001 and April 2002). To date, 80 of the CSIA's 230 members have passed their audits and earned the title "Certified Member" and the privilege of displaying the "CSIA Seal of ...
Condition-based maintenance software
Dexter v. 4.0 diagnostic and predictive CBM software automates the process of monitoring, diagnosing, and predicting machinery health for any equipment that can be instrumented with sensors.
Inflection point
The current economic upswing is tangibly different for manufacturers, with some of the most dramatic effects not only being felt by low-skilled production personnel, but also by highly trained engineers. Though prospects are dim for low-skilled workers, engineers should realize the potential future for engineering is decidedly rosier, if you pay heed to marketplace signals.
Value Means More Than Price
When it comes to buying houses, diamonds, computers, and bicycles, it's generally true that, "you get what you pay for." It's much more difficult to place an objective value on a service. The best mechanic in town may be the expensive factory-trained technician at the local dealership or the kid down the block who fixes cars just for fun.
Do integrators really provide added value?
In "My Fair Lady" when Eliza Doolittle sang, "Words, words, words! I'm so sick of words,"* she was referring to their pronunciation rather than their actual meanings. But when it comes to "added value," I would venture a guess that most end-users, unlike Eliza, can pronounce it; they just don't understand what that cliché really means or includes.
Control Engineering Implementation Chronicles
Project: Baton Rouge Wastewater Pump Station SCADA System View Blog This $2 million+ project involves the design, assembly, configuration, and installation of a SCADA system to monitor and control 51 critical wastewater lift and booster stations serving the municipality's 412,000 residents, located within a 20-mile by 20-mile service area. The municipality’s current SCADA system, installed less than 10 years ago predominantly by two proprietary RTU vendors for the same 51 sites, has not lived up to expectations. The two vendors’ systems communicate using their native protocol over the same backbone employing a custom communication interface. The communication system backbone is based on a private radio network employing a voice-grade 800 MHz system with repeaters.
Control Engineering Online Update for November 11, 2005
November 11, 2005 Highlights Sponsored by Schneider Electric An experienced control system integrator explains how to save money and time, plus get better results on every automation project. Not through some magical new technology, but through systematic management of tasks and people. Consistent Project ManagementAutomation project leaders typically focus most on direct project expenses and sequences. Meanwhile, lack of a consistent project approach, inadequate preparation, and communication misfires contribute to cost and budget overruns—project after project.
Engineers and IT professionals form legacy services firm
Evergreen Enhancement Inc., a team of manufacturing engineers and IT professionals, is a start-up company aimed at providing engineering support for embedded technology legacy products, particularly critical hardware and software systems in high technology manufacturing environments. According to William Kerr, Evergreen Enhancement founder and CEO, "Many high tech manufacturers are dependent o...
PDA shipments up 32% in 2Q05
Worldwide PDA shipments are up 32% over the same period a year ago, totaling 3.6 million units, according to Gartner Inc. , a provider of research and analysis on the global information technology industry. Market is on track to reach 15 million units shipped by the end of 2005, the firm reports, surpassing the record 13.2 million units shipped in 2001. Steady growth in the PDA market is attributable to a combination of factors, said Todd Kort, principal analyst in Gartner’s Computing Platforms Worldwide group.
Emerson digitally automates Shanghai SECCO petrochemical complex
Emerson Process Management reports it recently completed a digital automation project at Shanghai SECCO Petrochemical Co.'s $2.7-billion, 10-plant ethylene cracker complex. SECCO picked Emerson in 2003 as its digital automation partner. The complex will annually produce 900,000 tons of ethylene and more than 2 million tons of other related petrochemical products for use in...
Project: Baton Rouge Wastewater Pump Station SCADA System July 18, 2005
July 18, 2005 An initial comprehensive project plan for all phases employing QDS Systems project management system was completed this week. Project managers employ a tightly integrated Web-based implementation of Microsoft Project Servercoupled to a Tenrox professional time and billing system. This system allows project managers to specify activities and tasks, task dependencies, resource and personnel assignments in Microsoft Project.
Piping system software development
Sofware Development Kit (SDK) works in conjunction with the company’s Pipe-Flo professional program to build an application that provides seamless integration between plant monitoring equipment and system design software.
CSIA says registered-member recertification effort is ahead of schedule
The Control and Information System Integrators Association (CSIA) reports that subscriptions to its required re-registration program has already passed 20% and that its recertification effort is well ahead of schedule.
Community electric utility gets advanced boiler controls
Crawfordsville Electric Light & Power recently replaced its distributed control system (DCS) for controlling its boilers with a system from MOST (MTL Open System Technologies) and Advanced Boiler Control Services (ABCS) of Orland Park, IL.
Omaha Public Power District picks Invensys for nuclear plant automation upgrade
Invensys Process Systems was recently selected to provide its Foxboro-brand I/A Series distributed control and data acquisition system to help ensure reliable operation and improve generating efficiency at Omaha Public Power District's (OPPD) 500-MW Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Station.
CSIA passes 250th member milestone
The Control and Information System Integrators Association (CSIA) reports that it enrolled its 250th member company in October—Beach Panel & Controls Inc., a system integrator located in Chesapeake, VA—and now has more than 260 total members.
5 ways control engineers can better manage small projects
Once a control engineering project has been identified, it’s time to start planning and executing the project. Managing small projects involves five basic steps, based on experiences and information from the Project Management Institute, a Philadelphia-based association.
Laser shipments up 75% in 2Q04
Shipments of industrial laser equipment and systems to North America and U.S. exports were up roughly 75% to $173.6 million in the second quarter of 2004 (2Q04) from the same period a year earlier, according to the Laser Systems Product Group (LSPG) of the Association for Manufacturing Technology.
Good Integrator Help Isn’t Hard to Find
Hiring the right system integrator for an automation project can greatly improve the chances of completing the job on time and under budget. And once that first project has been successfully concluded, re-hiring the same integrator for the next job is an easy decision. Unfortunately, selecting an integrator is not so simple the first time out.
VI Engineering completes successful CSIA audit
System integrator VI Engineering reports that it recently earned Level 1 Registered Member status from the Control and Information System Integrators Association (CSIA).
21 system integrators achieve CSIA Registration
The Control and Information System Integrators Association (CSIA) announced at its recent Executive Conference that 60 of its 201 members have achieved "registered" status.
Open up with open source
Open source software (OSS) falls into a different category than free software and can be a valuable part of a manufacturing system. As discussed in last month's column, free software isn't necessarily cheap, requiring a careful look at true costs, ownership rights, and corporate standards. Free also isn't necessarily open source or vice versa.
Process control beat: redundancy, fluid handling, control valves, LNG center
News from the process control field this month features the introduction of several new products, including a high integrity control system with triple redundancy, a quick-change pump head for handling multiple fluids, and an ultra-capacity flow valve.
Eaton acquires Electrum Group
Eaton Corp. has acquired Electrum Group Ltd., a New Jersey-based provider of power management services and Web-based software for telecommunications, data center and government applications. Electrum had revenues of about $3.5 million in 2003. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
Shipments of DSP boards with FPGAs to increase
Shipments of merchant digital signal processing (DSP) boards are expected to increase at a 1.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2003 to 2008, according to a new study, "Digital Signal Processing (DSP): Global Market Demand Analysis," by Venture Development Corp. (VDC). However, when these results are divided by type of processing method, VDC reports that unit shipments...
Invensys introduces global LNG business, technology center
Singapore—To deliver technology and business solutions across the LNG value chain and help maximize asset utilization, minimize risk, and reduce costs, Invensys has opened its Global LNG Business and Technology Center.
Oscilloscope vendors strive to be “first-to-market”
Oscilloscope vendors worldwide are striving to reduce product development time and keep pace with technological innovation in end-user industries, a recent study shows. This effort is likely to lead to the introduction of more sophisticated oscilloscopes and positively affect the revenues of "first-to-market" vendors.
Configuration management tool
Razor software configuration management tool provides a single point of control for tracking reference documentation from point of origin through final disposition, shortening the development lifecycle and improving time to market.
What Does CSIA Stand For?
Control and information system integration is big business ... and getting bigger every year, today representing close to $20 billion in engineering services and related hardware and software revenues worldwide. With the forecasted and hopeful ending of worldwide economic stagnation, it should resume an estimated growth rate of 10% a year.
Integrators Take Projects from Concept to Completion
Automation system integrators are experts at planning, designing, and implementing industrial automation and control systems. They're particularly adept at connecting disparate automation components to equipment in a client's factory. Exactly how they accomplish their mission varies from integrator to integrator and from application to application.
Integrators sharpen skills with CSIA, manufacturer affiliations
System integrators are sharpening their skills and gaining resources for clients by affiliating with the Control and Information System Integrators Association (CSIA) and joining manufacturer-based programs for integrators, according to panelists on Control Engineering’s Dec. 3 Webcast, "Outsourced Integration."
HMI/SCADA platform
iFix 3.5 software has new project management, data accessibility and security features. HMI/SCADA technology platform helps users develop, manage, and alternate between multiple applications and projects from a single development station. Package comes with an Application Validator Utility that automatically documents any changes made to system files or utilities and generates an alert whenever...
Hawke’s fieldbus system to help protect Amersham plant in Norway
Ashton-under-Lyne, U.K.—Hawke International recently won a contract to provide intrinsically safe, fieldbus-based power supplies for Amersham Health’s $61-million plant in Norway.
Schneider’s North American division adopts CSIA’s audit process
Palatine, IL; Exton, PA—Schneider Electric’s North American operating division announced Sept. 25 that it will adopt the Control and Information System Integrators Association’s (CSIA) audit process as part of its Authorized System Integrator program.
CSIA breaks growth record with 200 members; expands services
The Control and Information System Integrators Association (CSIA) reports that it surpassed 200 members with the largest six-month growth period in its history during the first half of 2003. This growth was spurred, not only by new U.S. members, but also by integrators joining from around the world.
XML Delivers
It's been more than five years since the World Wide Web Consortium (www.w3c.org) released XML (eXtensible Markup Language) version 1.0. Since then, countless articles have claimed that XML's simple, text-based format would change forever how data are exchanged among different authoring applications on and off the Web.
Newport expects delayed shipment, $2-3 million loss in 3Q03
Irvine, CA—Newport Corp. announced Sept. 24 that it expects its sales for 2003’s third quarter (3Q03) to reach $31-33 million, rather than the $36-39 million it previously expected, resulting in a net loss of $2-3 million.
‘Create’ more time
How difficult can it be to get everything done? After all, time is an integral part of our job functions. Time stamps improve repeatability and quality. Lag time influences how logic is shaped. We're asked to help reduce cycle times, apply real-time controls, and get closer to just-in-time delivery, where they make sense.
Global flowmeter market expected to reach $3.4 billion by 2007
The worldwide flowmeter market is projected to grow at a 2.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from $3.1 billion in 2002 to $3.4 billion in 2007, according to a three-year study, "The World Market for Flowmeters," released May 1 by Flow Research Inc. The firm states that its study is the first time in 10 years that comprehensive data have been available on all 10 flowmet...
Petrobras awards Emerson $7 million automation project
Austin, TX - Brazil-based energy company Petrobras recently awarded Emerson Process Management a $7 million automation upgrade and expansion project for its Replan and Regap refineries.
5 Lessons from Transitioning to eXtreme Programming
It may be a software development method that many people haven't encountered before, but Citect, located in Gordon, Australia, a suburb of Sydney, recently succeeded in implementing eXtreme Programming (XP). Observing the current activity in Citect's software development area yields some unusual impressions about XP.
Emerson, Millennium finish batch plant automation upgrade
Austin, TX—Millennium Chemicals (Jacksonville, FL) recently completed its first batch automation project under an exclusive worldwide agreement with Emerson Process Man-agement.
Rockwell to provide monitoring equipment to Air Liquide America
Milwaukee, WI—Rockwell Automation announced Feb. 12 that is has signed a five-year, $4.5-million contract to provide Air Liquide America LP with condition-based monitoring equipment and services.
Emerson, DMI partner to serve FDA-regulated applications
To offer production management expertise, cross-platform integration services, compliance workflow software, and life-cycle services, Emerson Process Management and Decision Management International (DMI) recently formed an alliance to extend both companies' automation technology and services in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.
Users urged to check chlorine transfer equipment
Following an initial investigation into an August 2002 incident where much of a railcar's contents were released into the atmosphere, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) issued in December 2002 an advisory covering chlorine transfer equipment, particularly transfer hoses. Though CSB has yet to issue official findings, early analysis indicates the release was caused by a ...
Emerson, Decision Management partner to serve FDA-regulated applications
Austin, TX; Bradenton, FL—To offer production management expertise, cross-platform integration services, compliance workflow software and life-cycle services, Emerson Process Management and Decision Management International (DMI) recently formed an alliance to extend both companies' automation technology and services in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries.
Raising the Bar for Control System Integrators
Control System Integration, as a dedicated professional field, was conceived and born back in the 1970s. During its teenage era in the 1980s, there was an identifiable group of companies specializing in providing integration of control systems. With adulthood in the 1990s, it grew in numbers and became firmly established and accepted as a recognized industry market segment.
Sensors Expo adds nanotechnology, wireless sessions
Peterborough, NH— Nanotechnology and wireless have been the two most-requested topics by attendees scheduled to attend this fall's 17th annual Sensors Expo & Conference , Sept. 23-26, 2002, at Boston's World Trade Center. As a result, the show's organizers recently added two sessions covering those subjects. The show's technical education program will be taught by instructors from industry, government, and academia, who will offer sessions on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), nanotechnology, smart sensors, data acquisition, wireless and tethered telecommunications, as well as educating visitors on embedded, medical, manufacturing and wearable technologies.
Emerson’s PlantWeb to automate IDEC’s biopharmaceutical manufacturing
Austin, TX— Emerson Process Management announced Aug. 28 that it has been awarded a $14-million contract by IDEC Pharmaceuticals Corp. to automate its new large-scale biotech manu-facturing facility in Oceanside, California.
ABB secures $22-million water meter, RF network contract for Boston
Ocala, Fla.— The Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) awarded ABB (Warminister, Pa.) on July 1 a 36-month, $22-million contract to replace 79,000 aging water meters and upgrade the city's meter reading system to an automated, fixed-network radio system. ABB will provide project management and supply ABB absolute encoder water meters equipped with the Hexagram Fixed Network RF system. Honeywell will manage system installation. This award follows the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority's December 2001 award of a three-year meter replacement and automatic meter reading (AMR) system upgrade contract, including 130,000 new ABB absolute encoder register water meters. "We've undertaken this initiative to improve the effectiveness of our meter reading and customer service operations, and believe implementing automatic meter reading for all customers will most significantly enhance service to our customers," says Vincent Mannering, BWSC's executive director.
Honeywell helps automate Serbia’s petroleum industry
Honeywell's Industry Solutions division recently announced that it will provide the NIS Petroleum Industry of Serbia with a $2.8-million automation solution for its oil refinery in Pancevo, Yugoslavia. The solution includes a TotalPlant system with Honeywell's new Icon operator consoles; High-Performance Process Managers, Fail-Safe control system, and field instruments wi...
Honeywell provides automation solution to NIS Petroleum Industry
Phoenix, Ariz - The Industry Solutions business of Honeywell will provide the NIS Petroleum Industry of Serbia with an automation solution worth $2.8 million for its Pancevo, Yugoslavia oil refinery. The solution includes a TotalPlant Solution system with Honeywell's new Icon operator consoles, High-Performance Process Managers, a Fail-Safe Control system, and field instruments with DE communication protocol, as well as engineering, on-site services, and project management. The new automation solution will take advantage of the existing Honeywell TDC 2000 process control system and traditional instrumentation currently used in the refinery's FCC, alkylation, vacuum, and crude process units. The order is part of a complete modernization plan for the Pancevo refinery.
Eclipse Announces Open Source Visual Tools Project
London, United Kingdom - The Eclipse Tools project management committee announced May 15 formation of the Graphical Editor Framework (GEF) Project, that will develop a framework for rapidly creating and customizing visual development tools.
More from NMW 2002: Microsoft shows enterprise project management
Chicago, Ill. - Microsoft Corp. showed the marketing beta of Microsoft Project 2002, the next generation of the world's top-selling project management software. The expanded Microsoft Project 2002 family combines project management, accessibility, and collaboration, with a powerful project management platform to foster greater productivity and better business results.
NMW 2002: Entivity expects new VLC in April, Studio in June
Chicago, IL. - Entivity (Ann Arbor, Mich.) updated progress over the past year since its February 2001 formation. The company reviewed performance and announced coming product upgrades at a press conference here on March 19, at National Manufacturing Week, which includes the Industrial Automation Show (March 18-21).
Honeywell, Mustang to develop BP’s deepwater projects
Phoenix, Ariz. - The Industry Solutions business of Honeywell announced Feb. 11 that BP has selected it and Mustang Automation and Control (Houston, Tex.) as the control system vendor and integration supplier, respectively, for the planned development of the BP Deepwater Development fields in the Gulf of Mexico.
Emerson’s fiscal 1Q02 earnings down 28.5%; process control sales up 3%
St. Louis, Mo. - Emerson announced Feb. 5 that its net earnings decreased 28.5% to $255 million in first quarter fiscal 2002 from $357 million in first quarter fiscal 2001.
The Control System Integrator Quest
Where can the control engineer find a really good, competent Control System Integrator? That is a great question, and the Control System Integrators Association (CSIA) believes it has an answer. Even though most control engineers know what control system integrators (CSI) do and that their participation in a project can add tangible value, clarification of a CSI's function might be approp...
‘Sensor-to-Boardroom’ Integration is Doable
In the 1970s the State of Qatar—a small peninsula nation jutting into the Persian Gulf—discovered what experts believe to be the world's largest single natural-gas reserve, estimated to be 500 trillion ft3.Despite Qatar's abundance of natural gas, until the early 1990s natural gas production was confined to domestic use.
3Q01 industrial laser shipments down 37%
McLean, Va.-Shipments of industrial laser equipment and systems for North America and U.S. exports for 2001's third quarter were down 37% from the year before to $105.2 million, according to a recent report by the Laser System Product Group (LSPG) of the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT).
The Rating Game
Don't play around with finding automation project help. New guidelines suggest how to select and work with a control system integrator.
Westinghouse’s Ovation selected in China
Westinghouse Process Control was recently awarded a $1.2 million contract to provide its Ovation control system hardware and project management services to Liaoning Power Bureau (Liaoning, China) in the heavily industrialized region of Manchuria. The Electric Power Research Institute's Northeast China group has been selected to provide software-engineering expertise ...
Pocket-size tachometer, full-size functionality
Michigan City, Ind. -Series Tac pocket tachometer takes non-contact, contact and linear speed measurements. Series Tac allows the user to view the rotating target and the six-digit LCD simultaneously.
Take Chance, Guesswork out of Selecting a Control System Integrator
Benchmarking and registration programs aim to maximize investments and minimize hassle. One axiom that seems to apply to the control system integrators' (CSI) industry is, "Find a really good integrator and you'll also find a very good businessperson." Conversely, those integrators with weak business skills usually end up providing marginal systems to dissatisfied clients.
Montreal Team Has Winning Habit at SAE “Walking Machine” Competition
F or the second consecutive year, a robot designed by a team of students from Ecole de Technologie Superieure (ETS), a part of the University of Quebec, won the Society of Automotive Engineers 'Walking Machine Decathlon' competition in 1999. 'We're fortunate to have a great deal of expertise on our team-mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, and automated production engineering,' says this year's team leader, Michel Gendron, a third year mechanical engineering student. 'It gives us a running start in the competition.' Nonetheless, the team begins working together a full year before each year's competition. Early in the cycle, team members may stop at the dedicated shop and work on the project once or twice a week.
Choosing the Right Project Implementation Strategy
As outsourcing increases in popularity, end-users have more choices than ever when implementing a project strategy. Do they use in-house staff, the professional consulting services of the vendor whose products they are using, or a local system integrator to complete the job? Deciding which strategy to implement requires careful analysis of the best scenarios for each.
RFO Type sensors
Plainfield, Conn.— Gems Sensors Inc. has introduced its 3/4 in. and 1 in. RotorFlow RFO Type sensors designed for continuous monitoring of flow rates to 60 gpm. The sensors effectively double the flow rate capability of previous models. Flow ranges span from 2.0-30.0 gpm for 3/4 in. ports, and 4.
Automation Objectives Lower Cost and Improve Time-to-Market
At Eli Lilly and Co. (Indianapolis, Ind.), a leader in the development and manufacture of pharmaceutical products, process automation has played a key role for over 20 years. So in 1994 when Lilly's management challenged the manufacturing units to cut unit operating costs by 25% over the next three years, process automation was an acknowledged key element in meeting the challenge.
Object-oriented Functional Specs are Key to Surprise-free Automation
Functional specifications have two key purposes, to enhance the information presented on process and instrumentation drawings (P&IDs) in such a way as to meet user expectations, and to reduce the total installed cost of a process automation system.Failure to develop a comprehensive functional specification can make project management a very difficult assignment, can keep engineers on ...
How to Work with a System Integrator
System integrators earn their keep by solving their clients automation problems. They provide the time, talents, and technology required to turn a plan into a completed project. But no matter how skilled they may be at designing, implementing, and testing industrial automation systems, integrators can do nothing of value until they know what their clients expect.
Project Management Becomes Another Path for Engineers
Engineers seeking to advance incomes and responsibilities within the same company typically have had two options: advance in technical knowledge or become part of management. With management running leaner than in the past, these opportunities may be fewer, or more competitive, for engineers.A third option exists in many settings—project management.
