Users’ asset management focus drives growth in temp. transmitter market

Recovering from the economic downswing, process industries got back on track and temperature transmitter shipments saw positive growth in 2011. This recovery in the temperature transmitter market was mainly due to an increase in orders from growing industries such as oil & gas, chemical, and electric power. The continued emphasis on Plant Asset Management (PAM) and Fieldbus technology also proved to be a strong growth enabler for smart temperature transmitters, according to a new ARC Advisory Group market research study, “Temperature Transmitter Worldwide Outlook” .

Manufacturers have begun to realize the cost saving benefits of implementing HART and digital protocol standards to enable PAM solutions, particularly in the maintenance and operation phase of the asset’s lifecycle. Growth and spending for plant asset management systems continue to outpace that of the automation industry in general as end users seek to reduce maintenance costs and increase production availability using tools, such as predictive diagnostics and software-based configuration solutions.

Among many other benefits, smart temperature transmitters offer diagnostic capabilities that help end users strengthen their PAM initiative, and save precious time and money. This asset management focus of users is fueling demand for smart transmitters. The wealth of information provided by temperature measurement technology cannot only reveal the health of a company’s plant assets for PAM purposes, but can also help users diagnose their processes.

Growth Opportunities in Developing Economies
The global economic slowdown that started with the subprime mortgage crisis in the US has left Europe struggling with the sovereign debt crisis. No part of the world was left unaffected by the financial crisis, but European countries are among the hardest hit by the crisis. Year 2011 saw many of the European countries struggling with the debt crisis. Japan suffered from a series of economic setbacks, while North America recovered slowly.

When most parts of the world are struggling with weak economic recovery, business opportunities are maximum in the global regions that are experiencing the highest industrial and infrastructure growth, such as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China), MIST (Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey), and MENA (Middle East, North Africa) countries. The BRIC and MIST countries are among the 20 countries with the highest GDPs and are expected to grow significantly faster than the developed countries. These growth regions continue to draw investment from around the world and are witnessing significant industrial expansion and improvement in manufacturing operations. On the path of rapid industrialization, Latin America and Asia have huge demand for energy. In Brazil, the exploration of pre-salt oil fields has spurred huge development projects in the region. The depth of these oil fields presents a huge technological challenge and current investment in pre-salt exploration is only a small fraction of the overall investment required. The whole project is estimated to require around trillion dollars of investment. China, the second largest consumer of oil in the world, is now trying to decrease its dependence on imported oil. To achieve this, the country is focusing on domestic exploration and production activities.

China and India are among the countries with high GDP growth. However, these countries have experienced slower growth in recent times. China’s GDP growth in Q2 of 2012 was 7.6 percent; the first time this number has been below 8 percent in the last three years. India’s GDP growth has fallen to 5.3 percent in Q1 of 2012 from 6.1 percent in Q4 of 2011. “Owing to increase in wages, land prices, taxes, and regulations, several industries are moving from China and India to other low cost regions, such as Indonesia, Vietnam etc. Hence, it is important that suppliers should also focus on other developing high growth regions as well. In this tough economy, diversification will be a key to success as it will help suppliers protect their interests against various country/region specific risks by doing business globally,” according to ARC Research Analyst Inderpreet Shoker (ishoker@arcweb.com), principal author of the study

Expanding range of wireless devices based on ISA100.11a

Yokogawa expands its range of ISA100.11a compliant wireless devices
– For field wireless systems based on the “Grow” concept –

Yokogawa  has developed three new field wireless system devices and has enhanced existing wireless pressure and temperature transmitters, all of which are compliant with the ISA100.11a wireless standard. The first of these products are scheduled to be released in March 2012.

These new wireless products can be used to construct highly reliable large-scale plant networks, and may also be incorporated in small- and medium-sized networks that already utilise Yokogawa’s existing products, substantially expanding their capability. This is in line with the company’s “Grow” concept of enabling customers to expand their plant wireless networks while making full use of existing assets.

ISA100.11a is a wireless communication standard for the industrial automation field that was established in September 2009 by the ISA100 Committee of the International Society of Automation (ISA). This was approved as a National Standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in December 2011, and has been submitted to the IECSC65C Subcommittee for approval as an international standard.

Development background
A wireless network that connects a control system with field devices such as differential pressure/pressure transmitters and temperature transmitters has many advantages: it reduces cabling and other installation costs, and allows the installation of equipment in difficult-to-wire locations.

In July 2010, Yokogawa began offering entry-level field wireless system solutions based on the YFGW710 field wireless integrated gateway. Users of these systems have come to value their high reliability, real-time performance, and environmental resistance, which help to ensure stable plant operations, as well as their immunity to electromagnetic interference and secure wireless communications. A number of these users now wish to expand their wireless networks.

To meet this demand for large and reliable plant wireless networks, Yokogawa has developed three new field wireless system devices and enhanced two existing field wireless transmitters.

The new products are a field wireless management station, a field wireless access point, and a field wireless media converter.

The field wireless management station is a new gateway device for connecting production control systems and field wireless devices, and includes system and security management functions. The field wireless access point is a new router device for connecting field wireless devices and gateways, while the field wireless media converter is a new device that converts data from the 100BASE-TX to the 100BASE-FX format.

The enhanced devices are the EJX-B series differential pressure/pressure transmitters, the YTMX580 wireless temperature multiplexer, and the YTA 510 temperature transmitter, both of which now have detachable remote antennas and feature low power consumption design.

Each of the new field wireless system devices offers dual redundancy via a backup device. If the communications link is broken or a hardware failure occurs in any of these devices, automatic switchover to the backup device is implemented and the communications link is restored, ensuring uninterrupted communications with field wireless devices and increased reliability in process monitoring. This feature also offers the same benefits in any future application of wireless communications technology for process control.

Compared to the YFGW710, the new field wireless management station can manage up to ten times the number of field wireless devices. Both it and the new field wireless access point support communications with 100BASE-TX, 100BASE-FX, and wireless LAN networks, allowing for both the expansion of plant wireless networks and the full use of existing assets.

Both the EJX-B and YTA510 transmitters now come with an antenna that can be removed and mounted in a separate location, extending the communications range. A high-gain antenna option is also available that can extend the communications range up to four times. The high-gain antenna, also called a “long distance antenna”, emits strong radio waves, allowing wireless communications over a wider range. In addition, through the incorporation of low power consumption design features, battery life is now twice as long.

Major target markets are process manufacturing industries including oil and gas (onshore/offshore facilities), petrochemicals, chemicals, iron and steel, pulp and paper, power, and water treatment. Typical applications are the measurement of temperature, pressure, flow, and tank fluid level.

Yokogawa’s approach to field wireless communications
Yokogawa presents wireless communications and other field digital technology solutions that help companies to optimise their plant operations. Support of the ISA100.11a standard ensures high reliability, application flexibility, network expandability, and compatibility with a variety of wired communication standards.

In July 2010, Yokogawa released the world’s first ISA100.11a compliant field wireless devices. As the industry’s support of the ISA100.11a standard gains momentum, the number of ISA100.11a products is expected to increase. Yokogawa will continue to enhance interoperability for seamless connection with other companies’ products and will develop sophisticated wireless control solutions for continuous processes. The company’s focus is on proposing field wireless communications solutions based on the “Grow” concept.   By making possible the expansion of wireless systems, educating users about wireless solutions, and improving convenience, Yokogawa aims to help its customers to grow their plant operations.

New on-line shop for Ireland

I had a chat with Lyndon Thomas of Bentley Instruent Company the other day. He tells me they have launched a new on-line shop which offers a wide range of instrumentation from leading manufacturers.

Bentley Online

bentley-online.ie  offers fast ex-stock delivery of
• pressure gauges
• pressure transmitters
• digital panel meters
• temperature transmitter assemblies
• RTD sensor assemblies
• pressure switches
• charts & pens

Bentley Instrument Company was founded in 1964 to service and distribute a broad range of instrumentation throughout Ireland. Since 1995 Bentley has been a member of the British Rototherm Group. In 1995 Bentley achieved ISO 9002 quality assurance approval and has grown to be an important supplier of high quality products and calibration services throughout Ireland.

Are you paying attention?

This blog has been on-line for twelve months now and we have been looking at the stats over that period.

"You pays your money...."

We have two blog presences one on the Blogger platform and this one on the WordPress system. We use the blogger presence for recording press releases as we get them with little editing other then some tidying up. This WordPress blog is used however, for material we write ourselves, or those written by guest authors. Reports on technologies, events, applications, company news and what we think are interesting topics to do with the automation field all find their way here.

Because it is a fairly new venture for us we were not sure what to expect. What sort of reaction we would get. Who, or how many would visit.

The Read-out Instrumentation Signpost is the principal and oldest presence of Read-out, Ireland’s journal of instrumentation, control and automation, on the world wide web. It is visited by between 4000 to 6000 unique visitors during each week. (When we started gathering statistics around ten years ago this figure was around 500!).

So what has happened in the last twelve months on this blog site?

The stats show that almost 4500 visitors visited the blog during the period, the bulk of which occured in the final six months. The first two months showed less that 70 visitors per month but then showed a steady rise up to the current average of 400 per month. Whether that is good or bad is difficult to say and it is also difficult to analyse these figures to decide why certain topics are more popular than others. One thing that is interesting is that visits occur to different pages through the period and not just at the time they go on-line.

There are also those people who are “followers” who visit each time there is a new posting (roughly once or twice a fortnight) and that is reflected in the large percentage (ca 20%) recorded as visiting the “home page.”

Perhaps surprisingly the most visited post visited was a piece about a presentation on Industrial Security which featured at the ISAExpo’09 with about 6%. The report on the actual show itself was way down in the ratings in 16th place. The next most frequented page was the report on a press event hosed by Emerson in the Netherlands in December. This report was narrowly pipped at the post by 4 visits by the Security feature. Other Emerson events also feature in the top ten, the User Group Meeting in October at fifth and Andrew Bond’s article on their CHARM launch also in October at seventh. This probably reflects the open attitude to social networking displayed by Emerson and their customers, when compared with some other automation entities.

A very close number three on our top-ten is the report on the splitting of GE Industrial Platforms and Fanuc (August’09). This was followed by a report on what Walt Boyes has identified as the “coming together” of Invensys in July’09, a report on the re-organisation of this giant in the automation world after a traumatic decade.

At number six is an item on Longwatch’s progress towards the “HMI revolution” with their integrated video into HMI systems (November 2009). We had reported the launch of this one our other blog in September’09.

Our personal favourite!

Number eight is our own particular favourite and was a critique on a book that we came across and which was recommended by Jon DiPietro of Bridge-Soft at ISAExpo’09. The book was called Meatball Sundae by a guy called Seth Godin. This easy to read book made an impression and this posting outlined some of his ideas.

Number nine was a surprise to us as it was the one item that last year attracted the most consistent viewings. Why? Because it talked about AN1H1 or “Swine flu”. It talked about an IR measuring system which could measure body temperature at a distance and thus be used in airports and other ports of entry and identify possible sufferers before they contaminated others. We suspect that this is so high because people googling for AN1H3 or Swine Flu would find this in their search.

Number ten is one that is fast moving up the list. This is John Saysell’s “Top Ten Tips for the Industrial Trainer” which was posted in January of this year.

Most referrals not surprisingly came from our own website – read-out.net – but not a few came from Longwatch, MCP Europe and Emerson as well as various twitter and other social-networking referral sites.

Obviously many of our visitor clicked on the various links from the site. These do not we feel have great significence since there are too many variables like how many times they are mentioned in various blogs etc. But top of the list is ControlGlobal’s story of the split-up of GE & Fanuc, followed by Jim Pinto’s pages, Industrial Automation Insider and Jim Cahill’s Emerson Proicess Experts.

Top searches during the period were “GE Fanuc Split”, “AN1H3”, “INVENSYS”, and various Emerson personalities it would be too invidious to mention!

We posted 107 articles and we received 17,337 messages of which 75 were legitimate and 17262 were Spam Messages (protected by Akismet, the stop comment spam used by WordPress – phew!).

A graphical representation of twelve months viewing!

Read-out 09.05

Time machines and temperature

Read-out is distributed free of charge to named automation professionals within Ireland. Unfortunately we have to make a nominal charge to deliver to overseas readers! Subscribe Details Our Advertisers Blue-White

No we aren’t getting in to a Wellsian saga here just the current issue of our print periodical, Read-out, Ireland’s journal of instrumentation, control and automation! This, the September/October’09 issue is packed with news, views and people in the automation world in Ireland. The products especially dealt with temperature measurement.

The lead story features the genuinely unique product launched by Longwatch, their Console Recorder. This according to the article made their PR guy, Rich Merrit go into paeons of hyperbolic praise as “breakthrough, best-in-class leading edge…etc…” When we managed to calm him down he told us what it was! Basically it is a plant monitoring system which not only monitors the signals in a process plant but also accomodates video signals from an unlimited number of HMIs to show what the operators were watchnig at the time of an event, alarm or process upset.

We usually call the article on page two the Inside Front” article, and this issue features the Joe Gillespie’s (ARC Advisory Group) report on Coriolis flowmeters entitled Expanding Range of Applications Drive Coriolis Flowmeter Market Growth in 2008. This report predicts continued growth in Asia, Middle East and Latin America whereas Europe and North America will largely rely on replacement rather than new business.

Among the products mentioned is the temperature calibration system from Eurolec. Their CS Series comprises comprises two dry block “black body” sources for calibration with a temperature control system and a pocket for a reference thermometer. The Quadtemp 2000 4-channel thermocouple logger from Madgetech also features.

Another interesting article is one which first appeared in HazardEX, entitled “Are your temperture sensors safe?” It discusses the impact of European regulations, specifically Directive 94/9/EC for equipment used in explosive atmospheres. It appears that not everybody is in complience with this and this could have disastrous consequences.

Other items include Nationa Instruments’ new LabView 2009 which “targets the new technologies;” Omega’s fibreoptic Infrared transmitter OS4000 and a recomendation for JR Leigh’s book “Temperature Measurement & Control,” published by IEE.

The forthcoming dissolution of the over twenty year partnership of GE Fanuc is also featured as is the one hundreth anniversary of the Rotameter company (now known as Rota Yogagawa). There is also some news of Yokagawa’s continued expansion in Ireland.

There are some pictures of interest to Irish readers from the ISAExpo 2009, which it turned out is the last ISAExpo after a proud history of nearly fifty years. There sre details and links for some local and international events, past and future, also.

The next issue (Nov/Dec’09) will cover the parameter of PRESSURE. The deadline for material for this issue is 28th November 2009.

Temp. logging

A High Temperature Data Logging System
that Measures up to 250°C

MadgeTech has introduced the HiTemp150-TSK, a logging system which includes a HiTemp150 data logger and thermal shield. The system was designed to monitor and record the extreme temperatures required during nut processing. The HiTemp150-TSK is fully submersible, and can withstand temperatures in air up to 150ºC indefinitely, 200ºC for 45 minutes, and 250ºC for 32 minutes.

Although designed for nut processes such as dry blanching and oil roasting, it is versatile, and can be used in other applications such as meat processing, food processing, autoclave validation and conveyor oven monitoring. The system can also be placed directly in oil to validate deep frying processes.

It is easy to use, simply start the logger, open the enclosure, insert the unit, thread the probe through the end cap and latch it back onto the barrier body. The system can then be placed in the monitoring area and temperature data will be logged at a user-selectable reading rate. Once monitoring is complete, data can then be downloaded to a PC for analysis and record keeping.

The HiTemp150-TSK is priced at US$549.00. The thermal enclosure can be purchased separately, HiTemp150-TS, for US$99.00.