Number 4
April 2008
Sale of MOST product lines to GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms marks end of MTL’s third party control dream
INSIDER
First
casualty of Cooper Industries’ acquisition of MTL (INSIDER,
January 2008, page 1) might appear to have been MTL’s and its CEO
Graeme Philp’s ambition to eventually become the third party
supplier of choice of control systems platforms to the major process
automation system vendors. Philp has frequently expressed the belief
that the mainstream DCS vendors, which have increasingly based their
offering on COTS (Commercial Off The Shelf) technologies including
Windows, PC hardware, Ethernet and MTL’s own I/O and intrinsic
safety products, would eventually evolve to the point where they would
make none of their own hardware at all and assemble their systems
entirely from third party supplied sub-assemblies and components. To read the full story take
out
a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
as infighting continues . . .
Hard
to believe but it was back in January 2000 in our former guise of SCADA
Insider that we somewhat optimistically suggested that ratification of
IEC 61158 by 25 out of 29 national standards committees would
“ring down the curtain on the fieldbus wars”. And in fact,
as far as Europe has been concerned, and perhaps because of
Profibus’ dominant position in the factory automation sector on
this side of the water, that was largely correct.
Not so in the US, however. There Profibus has been up not just against the indigenous backing for Foundation fieldbus among process automation vendors but against the entrenched position of DeviceNet and ControlNet in factory automation. That may go some way to explaining why hostilities have continued largely unabated since 2000, with increasingly heated exchanges between the Profibus Trade Organization or PTO and the Fieldbus Foundation in recent months. To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
Profibus is set to make a major breakthrough into the North American process market with the news that Siemens has been selected as Main Automation Vendor (MAV) for BASF’s new Joncryl polymer plant at Wyandotte, Michigan. Scheduled for completion in 2009, the greenfield project involves more than 5000 I/O and will be the largest Profibus PA installation in the US with more than 3000 field devices. It will also be one of the world’s largest applications of redundant fieldbus. The plant will be controlled by a fully redundant Simatic PCS 7 DCS with redundant fieldbus connectivity using Active Field Distributors (AFDs), redundant networks, redundant controllers, and redundant HMI servers, clients and batch servers. To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
Emerson first to take orders for WirelessHART
With all the noise and excitement which has surrounded wireless in general and the WirelessHart – sorry WirelessHART* - standard in particular over the past few years, it comes as something of a surprise to find that, up until the middle of March 2008, nobody had actually been selling any WirelessHART products. Despite successive North American and European product launches, most recently in Vienna in November of 2007 (INSIDER, December 2007, page 1), it was only on March 17th that Emerson put out a press release claiming that it had become “the first process automation supplier to begin taking orders for WirelessHART enabled products.” To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER
While Australian SCADA vendor Citect’s profile has become progressively lower key since its acquisition by Schneider in 2006, a number of its former luminaries have resurfaced elsewhere, most notably at Australian-US business information start-up myDIALS. One of the features of the last few years of Citect’s independence was its repeated attempts to build on the dramatic success of the original CitectSCADA by developing a compliementary MES offering, variously and successively know as Plant-to Business, CitectIIM (for Industrial Information Management) and finally – and currently – Ampla. myDIALS brings the concept right up to date by offering a ‘software as a service’ hosted application which extracts metric information from a user’s business applications and operational systems, calculates relevant KPIs and serves them back to individual decision makers within the client organization in real time via interactive on line dash boards. To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
Innovators’ market shares belie their influence on I/O
The worldwide market for I/O modules is set to grow at an annual rate of 5.6% to reach nearly $8bn by 2011, according to new data from IMS Research. The market is characterized by a large number of manufacturers from a diverse range of backgrounds and, although the traditional suppliers among the PLC and DCS
Not so in the US, however. There Profibus has been up not just against the indigenous backing for Foundation fieldbus among process automation vendors but against the entrenched position of DeviceNet and ControlNet in factory automation. That may go some way to explaining why hostilities have continued largely unabated since 2000, with increasingly heated exchanges between the Profibus Trade Organization or PTO and the Fieldbus Foundation in recent months. To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
. . . but Profibus PA makes
inroads into US
inroads into US
Profibus is set to make a major breakthrough into the North American process market with the news that Siemens has been selected as Main Automation Vendor (MAV) for BASF’s new Joncryl polymer plant at Wyandotte, Michigan. Scheduled for completion in 2009, the greenfield project involves more than 5000 I/O and will be the largest Profibus PA installation in the US with more than 3000 field devices. It will also be one of the world’s largest applications of redundant fieldbus. The plant will be controlled by a fully redundant Simatic PCS 7 DCS with redundant fieldbus connectivity using Active Field Distributors (AFDs), redundant networks, redundant controllers, and redundant HMI servers, clients and batch servers. To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
Emerson first to take orders for WirelessHART
With all the noise and excitement which has surrounded wireless in general and the WirelessHart – sorry WirelessHART* - standard in particular over the past few years, it comes as something of a surprise to find that, up until the middle of March 2008, nobody had actually been selling any WirelessHART products. Despite successive North American and European product launches, most recently in Vienna in November of 2007 (INSIDER, December 2007, page 1), it was only on March 17th that Emerson put out a press release claiming that it had become “the first process automation supplier to begin taking orders for WirelessHART enabled products.” To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER
Citect alumni take hosted application route to MES
While Australian SCADA vendor Citect’s profile has become progressively lower key since its acquisition by Schneider in 2006, a number of its former luminaries have resurfaced elsewhere, most notably at Australian-US business information start-up myDIALS. One of the features of the last few years of Citect’s independence was its repeated attempts to build on the dramatic success of the original CitectSCADA by developing a compliementary MES offering, variously and successively know as Plant-to Business, CitectIIM (for Industrial Information Management) and finally – and currently – Ampla. myDIALS brings the concept right up to date by offering a ‘software as a service’ hosted application which extracts metric information from a user’s business applications and operational systems, calculates relevant KPIs and serves them back to individual decision makers within the client organization in real time via interactive on line dash boards. To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
Innovators’ market shares belie their influence on I/O
The worldwide market for I/O modules is set to grow at an annual rate of 5.6% to reach nearly $8bn by 2011, according to new data from IMS Research. The market is characterized by a large number of manufacturers from a diverse range of backgrounds and, although the traditional suppliers among the PLC and DCS
vendors continue to
dominate in terms of revenue, ‘third-party’
suppliers are becoming stronger as the remote I/O sector of the market
continues to grow. Indeed ‘third-party’ suppliers are
having a greater impact in terms of new product and technology than
their current market share would suggest, says IMS. To
read the full story take out
a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
Cyber security database helps users identify risk
Wurldtech Security Technologies, the Vancouver-based process automation cyber-security specialist established in 2006, has launched what it claims to be the first cyber-security vulnerability database for industrial control systems. Known as Delphi, it is designed to provide vendors, operators, system integrators and service providers with new levels of visibility into the reliability, safety and security of systems and networks supporting critical infrastructure. “We understand the unique security challenges facing the industrial automation industry today, particularly when attempting to address the issue of securing legacy industrial control systems,” explained Wurldtech president and CEO Tyler Williams who described Delphi as a tool to “help our customers accurately identify real risks and make better-informed decisions to protect their industrial operations.” To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
OPC interoperability test lab opens in Germany
The OPC Foundation’s first Independent Certification Test Lab has opened at Ascolab’s facilities in Erlangen, Germany. Products validated and certified by the lab will carry a new OPC Foundation Certified logo to provide end users with an assurance of excellence. As a result of the certification program, users can expect reduced system installation costs and products that will perform reliably in multi-vendor installations. “To successfully integrate complex systems using products from multiple vendors requires that products be completely interoperable and simple to maintain, while providing plug-and-play configuration and high reliability,” explained ABB consultant engineer Paul Hunkar who is the OPC Foundation’s director of Compliance & Certification. “The Independent Certification Test Lab system provides the infrastructure to ensure that vendors are designing and shipping high-quality, high-performance and high-functionality products.” To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
ABB’s safety management
system gains TÜV approval
ABB has won approval from TÜV Rheinland for its functional safety management system for developing safety-related system integration in accordance with the IEC 61508 and 61511 standards. Certification by TÜV recognizes ABB’s functional safety management system as complying with international standards and having all the relevant documentation, functional safety assessments and company specific safety life cycle phases. It thus demonstrates to customers that ABB is working to a functional safety management system and a range of methods and procedures used to manage the day-to-day engineering for system integration. To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
IPS’ Egyptian joint venture
is first of many
Invensys Process Systems (IPS) has entered into the first of what it anticipates will be a number of joint ventures as it rolls out a new business development model into emerging markets worldwide. Under the new agreement it is joining with ENPPI (Engineering for the Petroleum & Process Industries) and GASCO to create Invensys Process System Egypt. Described as the first ‘Industrial Automation Engineering Centre of Excellence’ in the country, the new company is destined to play a significant role in the modernization of the Egyptian petroleum industry, helping to increase refinery utilization, maximize productivity and minimize maintenance costs. Chairman of the new company will be the assistant chairman of ENPPI, Eng. Mohamed Saad Yahia, while IPS will appoint a general manager. To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
ISaGRAF adds RTOS support on
Windows platforms
Rockwell subsidiary, or perhaps sub-subsidiary, ICS Triplex ISaGRAF has added support for TenAsys’ INtime real-time operating system to its IEC 61131 / IEC 61499 automation software development environment. INtime is a, if not the, leading RTOS for real-time applications on Microsoft Windows platforms and provides deterministic, hard real-time control, leveraging the powerful capabilities of Intel Architecture processors. “Our ability to dedicate one core of a multi-core processor exclusively to the INtime kernel and ISaGRAF runtime engine, while the remaining cores run Windows, is unique,” said TenAsys vp of sales and marketing Kim Hartman. “It provides ISaGRAF developers with a reliable and deterministic Windows platform for microsecond level accuracy and repeatability.” To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
Cyber security database helps users identify risk
Wurldtech Security Technologies, the Vancouver-based process automation cyber-security specialist established in 2006, has launched what it claims to be the first cyber-security vulnerability database for industrial control systems. Known as Delphi, it is designed to provide vendors, operators, system integrators and service providers with new levels of visibility into the reliability, safety and security of systems and networks supporting critical infrastructure. “We understand the unique security challenges facing the industrial automation industry today, particularly when attempting to address the issue of securing legacy industrial control systems,” explained Wurldtech president and CEO Tyler Williams who described Delphi as a tool to “help our customers accurately identify real risks and make better-informed decisions to protect their industrial operations.” To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
OPC interoperability test lab opens in Germany
The OPC Foundation’s first Independent Certification Test Lab has opened at Ascolab’s facilities in Erlangen, Germany. Products validated and certified by the lab will carry a new OPC Foundation Certified logo to provide end users with an assurance of excellence. As a result of the certification program, users can expect reduced system installation costs and products that will perform reliably in multi-vendor installations. “To successfully integrate complex systems using products from multiple vendors requires that products be completely interoperable and simple to maintain, while providing plug-and-play configuration and high reliability,” explained ABB consultant engineer Paul Hunkar who is the OPC Foundation’s director of Compliance & Certification. “The Independent Certification Test Lab system provides the infrastructure to ensure that vendors are designing and shipping high-quality, high-performance and high-functionality products.” To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
ABB’s safety management
system gains TÜV approval
ABB has won approval from TÜV Rheinland for its functional safety management system for developing safety-related system integration in accordance with the IEC 61508 and 61511 standards. Certification by TÜV recognizes ABB’s functional safety management system as complying with international standards and having all the relevant documentation, functional safety assessments and company specific safety life cycle phases. It thus demonstrates to customers that ABB is working to a functional safety management system and a range of methods and procedures used to manage the day-to-day engineering for system integration. To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
IPS’ Egyptian joint venture
is first of many
Invensys Process Systems (IPS) has entered into the first of what it anticipates will be a number of joint ventures as it rolls out a new business development model into emerging markets worldwide. Under the new agreement it is joining with ENPPI (Engineering for the Petroleum & Process Industries) and GASCO to create Invensys Process System Egypt. Described as the first ‘Industrial Automation Engineering Centre of Excellence’ in the country, the new company is destined to play a significant role in the modernization of the Egyptian petroleum industry, helping to increase refinery utilization, maximize productivity and minimize maintenance costs. Chairman of the new company will be the assistant chairman of ENPPI, Eng. Mohamed Saad Yahia, while IPS will appoint a general manager. To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
ISaGRAF adds RTOS support on
Windows platforms
Rockwell subsidiary, or perhaps sub-subsidiary, ICS Triplex ISaGRAF has added support for TenAsys’ INtime real-time operating system to its IEC 61131 / IEC 61499 automation software development environment. INtime is a, if not the, leading RTOS for real-time applications on Microsoft Windows platforms and provides deterministic, hard real-time control, leveraging the powerful capabilities of Intel Architecture processors. “Our ability to dedicate one core of a multi-core processor exclusively to the INtime kernel and ISaGRAF runtime engine, while the remaining cores run Windows, is unique,” said TenAsys vp of sales and marketing Kim Hartman. “It provides ISaGRAF developers with a reliable and deterministic Windows platform for microsecond level accuracy and repeatability.” To read the full story take out a subscription to Industrial Automation INSIDER.
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THEY
SAID IT
“This acquisition illustrates GE Fanuc’s commitment to the process market . . .”
Bill Estep,
Vice President ,
Control Systems Business,
GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms
“We are already thinking of presenting the 2008 Golden Polly Award to Rich Timoney of the Fieldbus Foundation”
Carl Henning,
Deputy Director,
Profibus Trade Organization
“This is a truly wonderful day.”
John Berra,
President,
Emerson Process Management
“I’m very proud of that.”
Rick Haythornthwaite, former CEO,
Invensys
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