Mitsubishi’s MR-J3-xA-RJ158, offered as part of the MELSERVO MR-J3 family, is an AC servo drive designed to provide users with connectivity to Mitsubishi Electric high-performance servo amplifiers over EtherCAT communication.Standards are in place to get your organization aligned to committing to a serialization strategy, says Elliot Abreu of Xyntek at Mettler Toledo’s recent Pharma Exchange. Abreu talks about the complexity of the environment and why it is important to get started now. GE’s latest computing module showcases how the ruggedization of industrial equipment has filtered down to the embedded layer.Interesting reads for Friday and the rest of the weekend for the automation professional. 
Vishay Intertechnology announced the VSOP98260 remote control code learning IC. The chip simplifies the code learning process by amplifying and shaping the signal received by the infrared emitter already present in these devices. It can also be used in tablet PCs and smartphones that are enabled with an infrared emitter. The Vishay VSOP98260 IC is [...]
Texas Instruments announced the DRV8837 motor driver. The 1.8-A brushed DC motor driver is 75% smaller than other products. The TI DRV8837 extends battery life and improves thermal performance in battery-powered or low-voltage motion control applications. It does this by reducing RDS(ON) by 50% and sleep current by 75%, compared to existing devices. The DRV8837 [...]Winston Strachan of Caribbean Foods and Rick Lidington of FMS Packaging Systems explain the quick changeover robotic packaging line developed for Caribbean Foods.Power tool manufacturer Stihl partners with a Virginia association to inspire kids into manufacturing operations. Simon Nance, manager of training and development at Stihl Inc., describes the initiativein this TAC 2012 One on One interview.The Automation Conference, held in Chicago May 22-23, provided a golden opportunity for Nestle’s Bryan Griffen to deliver an update on recent initiatives of the OMAC Packaging Workgroup.As U.S. nuclear plants deal with modernization issues, new automation equipment is needed. A recent safety evaluation report from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approves the Triconex Tricon controller, from Houston, Tex.-based Invensys Operations Management, for safety-related applications in nuclear plant environments.
Investments in cloud computing are expected to play a significant role in increased spending on technology expected over the next several months. And it looks like manufacturing could be along for the ride in a big way.The AS-International Association has announced the release of a new Developer Kit for AS-interface (AS-i). This toolkit is the first step towards integrating AS-i into a device. Within minutes of set up, the user can create a fully functioning AS-i network and begin to gain experience with basic communication. Developers can then investigate more deeply and build a working knowledge of the technology.Savigent Software Inc. (www.savigent.com), the Minnetonka-based company specializing in event-driven manufacturing operations management software, released Catalyst Platform version 4.0. The updated version delivers significant enhancements to the software, most notably a fully managed infrastructure for the development, deployment and management of composite applications. Catalyst Platform also provides a central repository for revision controlled management of composite applications and a new, highly scalable Catalyst Bus with real-time information access via OData services.New Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) ideal for industrial control, point-of-sale, medical appliance and transportation markets. Said to deliver three times the performance, reduce power consumption by up to seven percent and chip footprint by 58 percent compared to AMD Geode LX processor.Most companies in the medical device industry are growing, but only a quarter have managed to both grow and make major improvements in business performance.Designed for use under harsh industrial conditions as “built-in” or mounting arm devices, Beckhoff Automation’s new CP2xxx and CP3xxx Control Panel and Panel PC series feature a modern operating concept with multi-touch technology as well as a contemporary, elegant device design.Lenze has enhanced its new, decentralized 8400 motec frequency inverter drives to enable plug-and-drive communication via real-time Ethernet networks.Martin Grosser, Technology Manager for Functional Safety at Lenze, provides an update and overview of the impact of current and pending machine safety standards on OEMs and manufacturing end users. (Approximate Time - 28:55)Dean Ford, Vice President Automation and Information Solutions at Glenmount Global Solutions, explains how automation has become a profession, not just a technology, and what that means to engineers across industry.Professor Clark Radcliff of Michigan State University explains how to develop distributable models in a mechatronic environment for simulation and assembly.UL’s Kevin Connelly, Business Development Manager, and Ken Modeste, Principal Engineer — cyber security, explain the connection between safety and security in the process industries.Steve Segora, Western Region Sales Manager for the Langen Packaging Group, explains automation in secondary packaging and end-of-line operations.Demand for motor controls is up around the world, but some countries are seeing more new production facilities than others. Where are electrical utilities are turning their attention these days? Focus on the space between the substation and the meter. Automation World heads into the fall with three new features for September and the first will investigate whether cloud-based systems and security strategies can co-exist? Gary Mintchell, Co-founder and Editor in Chief, will have some answers to this intriguing proposition. And, will Digital Manufacturing ever fulfill its promise? Dave Greenfield, Media and Events Director, will dive into this ever-intricate subject and its many technologies. The third feature will dissect Safety Integrated Systems and the process safety lanscape. (Approximate Time - 2:50)
The Green Power Club at Central Dauphin High School converted a bicycle to run on electricity and built a solar charging station to power it.Always-on support center provides full-service, platform-independent hardware, software, networking and process support.
GreenPeak Technologies introduced their GP510 communication controller chip. The GP510 supports all communication between ZigBee RF4CE enabled devices and the set-top box or gateway. The system-on-chip is optimized for low cost BOM while offering excellent range and reliability. The GreenPeak GP510 communication controller chip is ideal for set-top boxes that serves as the ZigBee RF4CE [...]