Acoustic Research Laboratories has released the Ngara noise monitor. Ngara is a real-time sound acquisition system that offers class 1 specifications, allowing the user to post-process statistical noise measurements from 1/10th of a second stored data files. Ngara provides the option to store calibrated (continual or triggered) 48 kHz raw audio data. Measurements and data are stored to a USB storage device (HDD or memory stick).

The Fluke 225C and 215C ScopeMeter test tools, with automated test capability for Fieldbus, Profibus and other industrial communication protocols, are designed for maintenance specialists who keep automation and process plant equipment operational. The instruments feature easy signal validation of all the critical signal parameters like amplitude and noise, and have floating and fully isolated inputs for true differential signal measurements on 2-wire differential bus systems.

As rising electricity costs compel companies to examine their energy usage, advanced technologies are emerging which bring new efficiencies to old tasks, such as ensuring a clean flow of compressed air. John Davis, Business Development Manager for the Australian operation of Parker domnick hunter Filtration, explains.

The products and technologies that help make more efficient use of energy in industrial applications are already available. However, maximising energy productivity is not necessarily straightforward.

The WirelessHART standard provides a robust wireless protocol for the full range of process measurement, control and asset management applications.

In the Part 1 of this article, Joel Young explored cellular, Wi-Fi/802.11 and WiMAX/802.16 technologies. In this second part, he examines ZigBee/802.15.4 and provides some guidelines for planning a successful commercial or industrial deployment.

EDDL technology was specifically designed with the process industry in mind. It is an integral part of the bus protocols used in process industries: HART, Foundation fieldbus and Profibus.

Systems for thermal exhaust purification are subject to furnace regulations, and the safety of such plants presents a particular challenge for automation technology. In the past, the safety functions on systems manufactured by Dürr were monitored using conventional automatic gas burner control systems and safety relays, but safety and efficiency have since been greatly improved with the implementation of advanced safety control systems.

Process instrumentation technicians who implement good pH electrode maintenance regimes get more than just greater accuracy in pH measurement. They also benefit from a longer interval between cleaning cycles and extended productivity during a longer life cycle, significantly reducing running costs.

The key factor driving investment in wastewater treatment all over the world is cost reduction, and the only way to maintain high standards while reducing costs is to utilise highly sophisticated measurement and process control technology.

Ethernet is the most prevalent LAN application worldwide, offering the benefits of standardisation, low-cost components and high-performance switching technology. It’s easy to configure and install.

Swiss company Carbo-Link creates carbon fibre components for challenging applications such as rigging for racing yachts.

Parker Instrumentation’s fluid connector, Phastite, has simplified the construction of a state-of-the-art facility for testing dry gas compressor seals at John Crane’s new turbomachinery facility in Slough, UK. The connector’s combination of high-pressure operation and push-fit assembly has allowed the company to make considerable time savings compared with a system built using the conventional options of cone-and-thread and welded tube connections.

It’s often a requirement of many manufacturing processes to have the operators become directly involved in the machine action at the unloading point, either to unload or secure the outbound product. Unfortunately, the outfeed sections of most processes are notoriously dangerous, so in reality we should be striving to remove the operators from the area at all times.

New digital technology now makes it feasible to integrate process control and safety instrumented functions within a common automation infrastructure. While this can provide productivity and asset management benefits, if not done correctly, it can also compromise the safety and security of an industrial operation. This makes it critically important for process industry users to understand where to draw the line. Cyber-security and sabotage vulnerability further accentuate the need for securing the Safety Instrumented System (SIS).