35th Anniversary


ANNIVERSARY SUPPLEMENT COMMENT


THE POWER OF THE DIGITAL ERA W


Michelle Lea, editor of Process & Control, looks back over the last three and half decades, and singles out the biggest breakthrough


hen I first started editing Process & Control, not quite 35 years ago, but


almost, the hot topics of the day were very much focused on competing technologies. Discussions revolved around Fieldbus, and which version would become dominant (as it was Ethernet seemed to be the clear winner), whether we should continue to rely on PLC hardware or whether we could make the leap and rely on soft PLCs, whereby software would take control? It was very much a time of experimentation and discovery. Also, as the cost of energy began to


increase, and our awareness of the damage we were doing to the environment grew, we began to realise the advantages of variable speed control, and other products that could improve our energy efficiency. If you mentioned robotics to a process engineer back then, they would probably just have stared at you incredulously, as robots had only really made it into discrete manufacturing areas such as in the automotive industry.


CONTENTS Calibration


S5. When to calibrate in a workshop – In today’s process industry, the field instruments are often calibrated out in the field. Field calibration is often best but there are still various reasons why it is sometimes more convenient and effective to do calibration in a workshop. Beamex comments


Control & data management...


S6. Fifty years of innovation – Eurotherm by Schneider Electric marks 50 years of innovation as a global provider of industrial & process control, measurement and data management solutions. Eurotherm demonstrates how it has built longstanding customer partnerships, and a 50-year brand in the instrumentation space


Pumps...


S7. Maintenance-in-place makes pumps beautifully reliable –For Börger, one of the biggest breakthroughs in pumping technology has been the introduction of its Maintenance-In- Place system, which drastically reduces downtime during repair


Valves...


S8. Looking back at the changes in the valve world – There have been many developments over the last 35 years in valve technology and with over 60 years of experience in the manufacture of valves, ARI-Armaturen has seen many changes


Flow & level control... S10. The mass appeal of Coriolis technology


/ PROCESS&CONTROL Multimeters...


S16. Taking professional testing to the next level – The result of over 80 years of innovation, Hioki’s DT4200 series are their best digital multimeters yet


Wireless monitoring systems... S17. Wireless machine status monitoring


Factory & process automation...


S18. Building on the synergies between factory and process automation – Festo says synergies between factory and process automation will result in integrated solutions, and have a positive impact on a wide range of applications


PROCESS & CONTROL | JUNE 2015 S3


Looking back at the various emerging technologies, I think it’s pretty clear that developments in the process industries have mirrored what’s been going on in the world at large, namely the way we have embraced digital technology on every level. The way we listen to music, watch television, go shopping and learn about what’s going on around us, has all become digitised. And this is also true for industry. Relatively new concepts such as Industry 4.0. Big Data, the Internet of Things, all point towards production and factory environments where communication is key, and all devices/instruments and process equipment is connected to improve efficiency and quality, while reducing downtime and production/labour costs. We can now monitor and manage plants on the other side of the world from our office, our home, or the local coffee shop, and the intelligence built into devices means they can let us know if they’re in need of maintenance before they fail,


Process & Control over the years: from it’s early years as Process Equipment News through to its current format


preventing dreaded downtime. The process industries have also realised the potential of robotics, and we are seeing more and more robots becoming integral to process automation. As technology has evolved, so has the skill set of process engineers, and they now need to become proficient in working with both the traditional and newer technologies. Here at Process & Control, we will continue to help them do this for many years to come.


Process & Control www.connectingindustry.com


S10. 35 years: Doing time for level measurement S11. A complete solution


Heat-tracing technology...


S12. Tracing technology back to its roots – Koen Verleyen, product and marketing managing at Pentair, details the breakthroughs in the company’s history


Drives & motors... S13. Drives and motors network is Europe’s largest


Robotics...


S14. Documenting a revolution in robotic automation – Robotic technology has undergone a huge transformation in the last four decades says ABB, with new capabilities expanding the range of applications where robots can be used


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