Automation University is underway

Automation University at Edgbaston Stadium, Birmingham is underway with over 400 customers expected to attend the two day event. Whether you're in the business of management, engineering, IT or purchasing you will find Automation University invaluable. Its still not too late to discover the latest news, views, trends and technologies for integrated information and automation solutions.

Throughout the event customers will have access to experts across a wide range of sectors including Food & Beverage, Life Sciences, Automotive, Water/Waste Water, Renewable Energy and Oil and Gas.

There are opportunities to attend presentations showcasing Rockwell Automations new and updated products and solutions and find out about the latest range of products and services from Rockwell Automation partners.

Routeco will be there alongside the Rockwell Encompass partners such as ProSoft Technology, ePlan, eWOn, HMS and Spectrum Controls. We will also be sponsoring the evening networking event so please join us later for a drink and something to eat in a relaxed environment.

The event runs today 25th April and continues through until to tomorrow 26th April. Its not too late to attend so please make if you can.

Save energy permanently with Rittal Generation “Blue e” cooling units.

Rittal is launching its energy saving cooling units of the "Blue e" generation. This new technology, with a cooling output ranging from 500 W to 4,000 W can help achieve energy savings of as much as 70%.

The potential for innovation is by no means exhausted as far as enclosure cooling units are concerned. Pilot applications in the automotive industry have shown that there is still considerable room for efficiency improvements. The new energy-saving cooling units of Rittal's "Blue e" generation installed and running for eleven months produced surprising test results: The new cooling technology with a 1,000 W cooling output consumed up to 70% less energy than a standard Rittal cooling unit with the same output.

Thanks to the excellent test results, Rittal is now launching the new "Blue e" generation cooling units with the powerful Comfort Controller control system

In terms of size and appearance, the new cooling units are similar to the proven Rittal TopTherm system. The higher coefficient of performance (COP), which is 42% higher (from 1.2 to 1.7) with 1,000 W test equipment, for example, is the product of years of research and development. It also results from the ideal interaction of all the components responsible for the cooling output.

The first step towards improving the efficiency of the new cooling units with nano-coating involves the entire geometry of the cooling components' configuration. The component manufacturer systematically analysed existing devices and - wherever possible - improved their efficiency. This relates to the design of the condensers, evaporators, cooling fins, pipe bends and all the other refrigeration components.

In a second step, Rittal optimised the fan technology. EC (Electronic Commutation) technology is used in most of the fan motors. In these motors, designed as external rotor motors, the traditional mechanical pole reversal is replaced by electronic commutation, which functions without wear, sparks or interference. The motors have a dynamically balanced rotor with multi-polar magnets. The rotor position is recorded by several Hall-effect sensors. Motor supply and control is via an external electronic operating system that has a very high efficiency at all speeds. Precision bearings ensure a long service life and low noise generation.

Thirdly, Rittal has improved the control electronics by means of new Eco-Mode controls. If an internal fan does not need to operate permanently, it is automatically switched off, so cutting energy costs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB6kjgKBRKY&noredirect=1

New Red Lion ProducTVity Station™

New Red Lion ProducTVity Station™ Transforms Consumer TVs into KPI Production Scoreboard and Andon System, Supporting Increased Profitability

Routeco introduces the new ProducTVity Station™ (PTV), from Red Lion, the only ready-to-deploy solution for collecting, recording and displaying critical key performance indicators (KPIs) and machine status messages on any TV, monitor or projector equipped with a DVI/HDMI interface.

The ProducTVity Station is able to collect data from a wide range of automation components. Using a library of over 200 communications drivers, the ProducTVity Station can communicate to PLCs, motor drives, motion controllers, bar code scanners and more. Additionally, the PTV can be expanded with CS series I/O modules, allowing it to accept digital and analog inputs from a range of sensors.

An easy-to-use, fully-programmable graphical interface allows users to create high-definition visual management displays - without the limits imposed by traditional LED-based Lean manufacturing displays - visually combining KPIs along with andon messages. The ProducTVity Station’s 720p (1280 x 780 resolution) DVI output is compatible with both 720p and 1080p/i TVs with DVI or HDMI interfaces. A built-in data-logger can record key performance indicators, as well as andon events for later review, and can synchronize the log files with any FTP server and/or Microsoft’s SQL Server^® for further analysis.

 “Lean manufacturing, six-sigma, total quality management, continuous improvement - all of these terms refer, in some form or another, to the efforts of companies as they strive to become more competitive in a global economy,” said Jesse Benefiel, Red Lion Product Manager. “While various strategies are implemented in order to improve productivity, they all have two things in common: the collection of KPIs and the communication of those KPIs to the people who can most affect improvement - the production floor personnel.”

The ProducTVity Station extends production monitoring to remote personnel by providing email and text alerts, and its built-in webserver allows productivity information to be monitored via any networked PC or smart-phone. If enabled, personnel can take partial or full control of the system remotely, allowing a maintenance person to effect changes without a site visit.

The ProducTVity Station ships complete with a 2GB CompactFlash card, as well as a DVI to HDMI cable (15´), and HDMI/DVI adapter. The device is programmed with Red Lion’s popular Crimson^® software.

PanelView Plus 6 scalable visualization solutions

Over the years Rockwell Automation has earned a reputation for offering a wide range of scalable visualization solutions, available in multiple configurations and sizes. PanelView Plus is one of the most versatile operator interface options within that suite of visualization solutions.

Now Rockwell Automation is enhancing this product line by adding more power and features like expanded memory, a faster processor and Microsoft Windows CE 6 operating system. New PanelView Plus 6 operator terminals are ideal for applications that require monitoring, controlling and displaying information in dynamic ways, where operators must quickly understand machine status and make better decisions. Coupled with the latest, built-in FactoryTalk® View Machine Edition 6.0 and View Studio application development software, this solution extends the performance and functionality of machine-level operator interface, while retaining a common development environment and Integrated Architecture from Rockwell Automation.

PanelView Plus 6 terminals are available in a variety of modular display sizes, enabling you to select exactly what is required for your application. This provides a standard base of modules and customizable features to use across multiple applications, reducing maintenance and inventory costs.

http://www.emea.rockwellautomation.com/oem/docs/motion/PanelView_Plus_6.pdf