Instrumentation Monthly Test | Measurement | Control
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ABB has earned this year’s Frost & Sullivan Company of the Year Award in the global emissions monitoring systems industry. Frost & Sullivan’s global team of Growth Pipeline experts chose ABB based on its visionary understanding of future world challenges, the deployment of best practices and strategic analytics, as well as innovation and technical expertise in emissions monitoring and methane gas leak detection. According to Frost & Sullivan, ABB is shaping industry trends and supporting customers across a complex landscape of stringent emissions regulations. “There has been a long-term commitment from ABB to the development of multiple innovative emissions monitoring and gas leak technologies that serve the broadest industry sectors worldwide,” said Jean-Rene Roy, Global Business Line Manager, ABB Measurement & Analytics. “It is fantastic that Frost & Sullivan has recognized our collective achievement and leading technology through this award, and I would like to thank my team for their continued dedication to the cause.” The lasting impact of greenhouse gas emissions and more stringent regulations means that carbon-intensive industries are increasingly demanding emissions management and reduction solutions. For example, the EU recently announced a first-ever regulation to curb methane emissions from energy companies, while in the United States, current regulations require oil & gas companies to accurately measure methane emissions. According to Frost & Sullivan, ABB’s high-quality, digitally enabled products and solutions for measuring processes and greenhouse gas emissions, detecting gas leaks, and optimizing production drive cost-effective compliance and long-term efficiency. ABB’s extensive instrumentation and gas analyzer portfolio includes continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS) used in power generation, chemicals and refineries, waste incineration, co-combustion, marine and other applications. The portfolio also comprises the ABB Ability™ Natural Gas Leak Detection Solutions, a comprehensive suite which detects and maps gas leaks with unrivalled accuracy. In addition, ABB has been at the forefront of greenhouse gas sensing from space for over two decades. Collaborating with major space agencies worldwide has given the company a competitive edge. ABB applies its vast expertise acquired in high-profile government space missions to the private sector to strategically modernize the area and continue to make advancements in the space industry. With the aim of achieving collective, coordinated action on a global scale, the US Department of Energy recently awarded ABB a grant for the development of a single repository platform that will aggregate, analyze, and visualize methane data from multiple sources for the first time. The vital platform will allow for a significant reduction of methane emissions, pollution, and waste, enabling substantial progress on climate change targets. ABB’s emissions monitoring technology is also used to tackle the massive environmental problem of millions of leaking orphan oil and gas wells across the United States. The company’s high-sensitivity analyzers using OA-ICOS™ laser-based technology can detect methane emissions from decommissioned wells down to one part per billion.
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TT Electronics receives FDA registration for Asia manufacturing facility
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TT Electronics, a leading provider of global manufacturing solutions and engineered technologies, announced today that one of its Asia electronics manufacturing facilities has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), through its premarket approval (PMA) supplement evaluation process, to manufacture Class IIa devices on behalf of global medical OEM customers. The FDA registration of TT Electronics’ manufacturing site in Dongguan, China underscores the company’s commitment to upholding the highest standards of quality, safety, and regulatory compliance in the provision of manufacturing solutions for global healthcare markets. “We are thrilled to announce the FDA registration of our Dongguan China manufacturing site,” commented Michael Leahan, Chief Operating Officer at TT Electronics. “TT Electronics has been supporting medical and life science innovators for over a decade. This achievement is a testament to our relentless pursuit in delivering manufacturing excellence for our customers and contributing to the development of safe and reliable medical products. “Having multiple FDA registered facilities enables TT to continue supporting our customers’ growth in international markets and reinforce our reputation as a trusted provider of electronic manufacturing solutions for products that help shape the future of healthcare.” TT Electronics continues to broaden its global manufacturing offering with a number of footprint expansions announced earlier this year. A new facility in Mexico will be operational in 2024 and will also work towards being ISO 13485 registered.
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Bowers Group Forges Ahead in 2024 with SteelFab Attendance
As a leading name in precision measurement, Bowers Group is delighted to announce it will be participating at SteelFab 2024, scheduled to be held at the Expo Centre, Shajah, UAE, from the 8th – 11th January 2024.
Recognising the importance of SteelFab as an innovation showcase, reaching many businesses across the metal working, metal manufacturing and steel fabrication industries, Bowers Group aims to strengthen its international market presence and connect with industry peers from around the globe.
Mark Golding, Export Sales Manager at Bowers Group, said: “We’re delighted to be attending SteelFab 2024. The event is well regarded as the most comprehensive of its kind, delivering cutting-edge technology, products and knowhow to the metalworking industry. Our participation in SteelFab 2024 reflects our commitment to helping shape the future of manufacturing and engineering.”
The Bowers Team is set to showcase the impressive benefits of its Baty range, featuring the revolutionary Venture Plus XT. This versatile technology integrates profile projection, microscopy, CMM, and video inspection system capabilities in a single 4-in-1 system. As an accredited member of the Made in Britain initiative, the Baty range stands out for its exceptional quality and reliability.
Situated within the UK Pavilion, which claimed the title of the largest International Pavilion in 2023, Bowers Group is geared up to make a significant impact at the event. SteelFab 2024 serves as an impressive platform to showcase the group’s expertise in offering state-of-the-art metrology products. Visitors will gain first-hand insights into the company’s commitment to quality, efficiency, and accuracy in manufacturing and engineering.
The Expo Centre in Sharjah is strategically located in the heart of the UAE’s commercial and business hub and provides an ideal setting for the show. As Bowers Group joins the comprehensive list of exhibitors at SteelFab 2024, it highlights the group’s dedication to delivering excellence in the precision measurement landscape.
Eviden announces a joint Asset Performance Management solution with Samotics for Energy & Utilities industries
Eviden, the Atos business, leading in digital, cloud, big data and security, and Samotics, a leading provider of real-time actionable insights to eliminate industrial energy waste and unplanned downtime, today announce a new strategic partnership. The collaboration will bring a comprehensive remote asset monitoring solution to global industrial companies and deliver advanced data analytics to drive energy-efficient operations, and reduced energy waste.
Through this partnership, Eviden’s Intelligent Asset Management portfolio will be enhanced with Samotics’ predictive maintenance system SAM4, bringing to market a highly accurate, easily scalable, cost-effective, and quick to implement end-to-end remote monitoring system for industries such as water and wastewater and oil and gas, among others. With its non-intrusive sensors that are installed in the safety of a motor control cabinet, the SAM4 solution is ideally suited for hard-to-reach operational environments where the equipment is either hard-to-access (e.g. borehole pumps in the water) or is operated in harsh conditions (e.g. ATEX[1] zones).
The solution will provide advanced and automated data analytics to detect mechanical degradation, misalignment, electrical faults and other equipment failures in advance, as well as provide real-time performance insights to spot inefficient use of equipment. These concrete and actionable insights will enable companies to eliminate unplanned downtime, optimize performance, increase energy efficiency and reduce waste. With this information, the customers will be able to reduce operational and maintenance costs as well as minimize overall environmental impact.
Rita Marissen, Head of Industry Resources & Services, Northern Europe & Asia-Pacific for Eviden, at Atos Group said “The industry sectors, in particular energy & utilities, are characterized by legacy assets in need of upgrade, modernization, and digitalization due to societal, regulatory, and investor pressures. Monitoring and analysis of these critical assets is essential information to be able to optimize and improve performance. With this partnership we have boosted our portfolio with new asset performance management capabilities, driving customers’ operational resilience, energy efficiency as well as simultaneously reducing energy costs and their carbon footprint.”
Jasper Hoogeweegen, CEO of Samotics said “Our SAM4 technology is delivering significant value to global industrial companies, helping to address the challenges with unplanned downtime and energy waste. With our joint commitment to help customers improve the performance and efficiency of their critical assets, we’re excited to be partnering with Eviden to bring our proven technology to more organizations around the world and help them eliminate unplanned downtime, significantly reduce energy waste and optimize operations.
Eviden will deliver the complete Asset Performance Management solution, including implementation, integration and cybersecurity services. Samotics will provide expert fault detection and performance analysis services that offer customers real-time actionable insights into the health and performance of their industrial assets.
For more information, please go to https://eviden.com/industries/energy-utilities/
ABB launches ABB Ability Field Information Manager 3.0 to help future-proof industrial operations
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ABB Ability Field Information Manager (FIM 3.0) has been upgraded to offer system engineers and maintenance teams increased connectivity and extended reach across the latest communication protocols. The result is enhanced operational efficiency thanks to the digital solution enabling faster, more intuitive configuration, commissioning, diagnostics and maintenance of devices. Providing heightened performance and diagnostic data collection of fleets of devices, the latest version of FIM 3.0 leverages OPC UA and PA-DIM to transport data from field devices to cloud-based condition monitoring solutions. In doing so it helps customers achieve smarter maintenance and enhances their engineering efficiency. New asset management capabilities which include increased device condition monitoring pave the way to predictive maintenance. “In the era of Industry 4.0, ABB Ability Field Information Manager empowers businesses to embrace digital transformation, ensuring flexibility, efficiency, and competitiveness across their fleet of devices,” said Stefan Basenach, Head of Process Control Platform, ABB. “With its future-proof capabilities, it helps customers enhance operational efficiency while remaining relevant as industry standards evolve”. ABB’s enhanced FIM 3.0 software serves as the bridge between IT and OT to enable data-driven decision making. Offering a wider range of connectivity options for ASi-5, PROFINET, PROFIBUS, HART IP, and HART, FIM 3.0 fits into any existing system landscape for increased plant agility. Strengthened Ethernet-APL support ensures market relevance well into the future. ABB’s Ability Edgenius Operations Data Manager further extends FIM 3.0 capabilities by enabling the collection and management of data from OPC UA making valuable information accessible for edge and cloud-based applications. Offering advanced fleet management capabilities, simplifying the monitoring and maintenance of field devices across multiple locations.
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NivuFlow Stick awarded independent verification
Responding to demand for a simple but accurate tool for measuring discharge flow rates in streams, rivers and channels, NIVUS initially demonstrated a prototype NivuFlow Stick in 2018, and received its first order for a commercial product in 2020. Today, NIVUS is delighted to announce that the NivuFlow Stick has received an independent calibration certificate from METAS, the Federal Institute of Metrology in Switzerland.
“This is a significant achievement,” explains Christian Koch, Head of Product Management at NIVUS. “The calibration certificate resulted from a series of stringent tests, and follows the award of a similar verification certificate from NIWA, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research in New Zealand.
“We already have regulatory customers as well as water companies, consultancies, researchers and academia, but third-party verification will provide users with the assurance that they can now measure flow quickly, easily and accurately; confident in the knowledge that they are using an accurate, independently tested device.”
The NivuFlow Stick is a simple to use, portable instrument for fast, accurate flow velocity measurements utilising the ultrasonic cross-correlation measurement principle. In contrast with traditional methods, this technology is able to measure water velocities at different water depths simultaneously and with high resolution. As a result, even relatively unskilled operators are able to derive an accurate flow velocity curve quickly and easily.
Simple, intuitive operating procedures are driven via smartphone or tablet, and data are both displayed in real-time and shared on-site via WLAN. Importantly, any deviations in measurement quality by the NivuFlow Stick are also displayed, and this quality indication is stored with the data.
The system contains no wearing parts and is maintenance-free, and with lightweight components, handling in the water is effortless and safe. The NivuFlow Stick is therefore ideal for discharge measurements in streams and small rivers, as well as for checking the accuracy of fixed flow monitoring equipment.
Summarising, Christian Koch says: “The speed and simplicity of the NivuFlow Stick offer major advantages to customers looking to migrate their instruments from more traditional methods such as ADCP and acoustic doppler. The new verification certificates will therefore provide users with the assurance that they can exploit the benefits, whilst also achieving the required levels of accuracy.”
New edition of Farnell’s e-TechJournal takes readers on a journey towards sustainable mobility
The latest edition of the popular digital magazine e-TechJournal, entitled Fuelling the Future, is now available to download for free from Farnell.
Farnell, a fast and reliable distributor of products and technology for electronic and industrial system design, maintenance and repair, is inviting readers on a journey towards sustainable mobility by offering in-depth insights into advancements in EV charging technology, from automotive traction inverters to battery management.
Edition 6 of e-TechJournal includes articles exploring:
- Current Market and Technological Developments in Automotive Traction Inverter Systems
- EV Charging and Battery Management – Ensuring Optimal Performance and Lifespan
- EV Charging and Renewable Energy: Maximising Sustainability in Transportation
- Bring on the electric revolution – Enable fast, low-cost and sustainable charging everywhere
- The Advantages and Challenges of Electric Vehicles
- EV Charging Standards: Ensuring Compatibility and Safety in the Charging Process
- Powering Up with Safety and Ease: The Art of EV Charger Design
Cliff Ortmeyer, Global Head of Technical Marketing at Farnell, and Editor of e-TechJournal, said: “EVs are driving sustainable transportation, undoubtedly marking a profound transformation in the automotive landscape. In this instalment of e-TechJournal, we embark on an electrifying journey into the world of Electric Vehicles and explore cutting-edge technological developments shaping sustainable mobility.
“By downloading the latest edition, our loyal readers can uncover how renewable energy integration and emerging technologies like wireless charging revolutionise the EV charging experience and join us in our quest for seamless, safe, and user-friendly EV chargers as we head together towards a greener future.”
Issued quarterly, e-TechJournal provides in-depth technical insight into the latest technologies, along with analysis and explanations from supplier partners, industry experts, and Farnell engineers on key new trends shaping today’s electronics industry. In each edition, a different essential technology is the challenge’s focus.
Interested readers can download edition 6 for free from Farnell, Newark, and element14
Tektronix releases 4 Series B Mixed Signal Oscilloscope, increasing processing power for quicker analysis and data transfer speed
Tektronix, Inc, a leading provider in test and measurement solutions and Fortive company, has announced the launch of its 4 Series B Mixed Signal Oscilloscope (MSO) featuring state-of-the-art measurement performance capabilities on all channels, unmatched user experience, and advanced analysis capabilities. Made for embedded designers who demand superior accuracy, versatility and ease-of-use, the Tektronix 4 Series B MSO offers the same cutting-edge signal fidelity as the earlier version 4 Series with bandwidths from 200 MHz to 1.5 GHz, real-time sampling at 6.25 GS/s and up to 16-bit vertical resolution. It also includes the same award-winning, made-for-touch user interface, but with an upgraded processor system. Customers will note that the 4 Series B MSO user interface is twice as responsive and boasts significantly accelerated advanced analysis.
“The 4 Series B MSO was engineered to enable designers to analyze their systems faster to combat time-to-market pressure,” said Daryl Ellis, Tektronix Mainstream Portfolio General Manager. “The user interface, designed for touch, is intuitive, informative, and now more responsive. With the 4 Series B MSO, our customers will be able to tackle 99% of their mixed-signal design challenges and actually enjoy doing it.”
The 4 Series B MSO is available with up to six input channels, making it well suited for three-phase power analysis, and exclusive Spectrum View provides multi-channel spectrum analysis in sync with time domain waveforms. Along with accelerating front-panel operation, the upgraded processor system also speeds up remote operation. The 4 Series B MSO can be remotely accessed and controlled using a simple web browser, dedicated TekScope PC software, or custom program via a full programming interface. The 4 Series B greatly enhances time to answer on over 25 serial decode packages for inter-chip, automotive, power, aerospace buses, and more. Additionally, it speeds up algorithms and plotting used in existing analysis packages for power supply measurements, motor drive analysis, and double pulse testing.
“This instrument provides accuracy and analysis capabilities that make it ideal for challenges faced every day by design engineers, such as signal chain debugging, power analysis, protocol analysis, and noise analysis—to name a few,” shared Jeffrey Miller, 4 Series Product Planner. “What sets the 4 Series B MSO apart from the rest is the premier user experience and faster analysis capabilities.”
To support that level of unparalleled user experience, the 4 Series B MSO has a 13.3-inch, (1920×1080) HD display using industry-leading optical bonding for a greater screen contrast and viewing angle. Along with its 12-bit analog-to-digital converters and high sampling rate, the 4 Series B shows in-depth signal detail.
The Tektronix 4 Series B MSO is now available globally. For more details on the Tektronix 4 Series B MSO, visit tek.com/4SeriesMSO.
Fixed focus lens for radiation resistant cameras with smaller sensors
Resolve Optics reports on the development of a compact non browning lens optimised for radiation resistant cameras with smaller sensors.
All non-browning lenses from Resolve Optics are manufactured to the highest standards of quality and performance and are designed to withstand a total radiation dose of 100,000,000 rad. The new Model 390 is a 5mm fixed focus non-browning lens design optimised for ¼-inch image format radiation resistant CCD cameras.
Providing true HD quality images, the Model 390 lens sets a new standard for high-quality imaging of high radiation nuclear applications including monitoring of hot cells, belt lines and close inspection of baffle bolts.
Rob Watkinson, Customer Support Manager at Resolve Optics commented “Producing clear, sharp images free of a strong yellow tint has traditionally been a limitation of radiation resistant lenses on colour cameras. In our Model 390 lens development we drew upon our in-depth knowledge of radiation resistant optical materials to help solve this problem. The fixed focus, radiation resistant lens we have produced enables ¼-inch format CCD cameras to capture clear, high-definition colour images, with minimum geometric distortion from 400 to 770nm”.
For further information on the Model 390 please visit https://www.resolveoptics.com/radiation-resistant-lenses-2/ or contact Resolve Optics on +44-1494-777100 / sales@resolveoptics.com.
M12: UL-approved K and L cable connectors
Coded for power supply
K- and L-coded M12 connectors are suitable for transmitting electrical power to AC and DC applications in factory automation. binder offers a selection of overmolded cable components that were developed for use in North America according to the UL 2238 standard.
binder, a leading supplier of industrial circular connectors, is expanding its M12 portfolio by adding K- and L-coded overmolded cable connectors of the 823 and 824 series, which were developed according to UL 2238. These are primarily intended for use in the power supply of field devices in automation technology. Here, the transmission of electrical power via compact M12 interfaces has become a fundamental requirement. The connectors provide a compact alternative to power connections using 7/8-inch technology.
The K-coding indicates 5-pin connectors for AC supply of e.g., drives or frequency converters. Target applications of the likewise 5-pin connectors with L-coding include DC miniature drives, decentralized I/O modules, and other automation components that are supplied with DC voltage in field bus systems.
The K-coded products of the binder 824 series with screw locking are characterized by their ampacity of up to 12 A per pin under continuous load at rated voltages of 630 V(AC) respectively. The L-coded products in the 823 series have a rated current of 16 A and a rated voltage of 63 V (DC). Gold-plated contacts guarantee reliable current transmission. The fully overmolded connectors ensure protection of the interface according to IP68.
Ready for the markets of North America
The rapid and seamless introduction of new products to the markets of different world regions is an increasingly important competitive demand. Export to North America, for example, requires conformity to US safety regulations. This in turn can be proven by certification from a qualified and recognized test laboratory. With the UL approval from Underwriters Laboratories, manufacturers of electromechanical connectivity products can prove that their components meet the safety requirements for North America. Interfaces designed for rated currents up to 16 A and rated voltages up to 630 V require approval according to UL 2238. UL 2238 certification is currently in preparation.
M12 – robust, flexible, reliable
The K- and L-coded overmolded M12 cable connectors were developed in conformance with IEC 61076-2-11 for use in industrial-automation environments. Thus, product designers and installers are provided with a robust and variably applicable interface technology that ensures reliable power transmission to AC and DC field components even at high ambient temperatures. The IP68-compliant interfaces feature a protected seal within the M12 socket, and the M12x1 thread is equipped with an anti-vibration lock. Furthermore, connection cross-sections up to 2.5 mm2 are available.