After a big rise in December, January’s U.S. manufacturing technology consumption fell slightly, but once again showed significant progress over the previous year’s numbers, according to the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association (AMTDA, www.amtda.org) and the Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT, www.amtonline.org).
As reported by companies participating in the U.S. Manufacturing Technology Consumption (USMTC) program, January technology consumption totaled $371 million. This number is down about 16% from December, but up more than 188% over the $129 million reported for January 2010.
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“Despite the slight decline in orders from December, the January USMTC report confirms that U.S. manufacturers are reinvesting vigorously to improve productivity,” says Peter Borden, AMTDA’s president. “As equipment deliveries grow longer and commodity prices increase, factories may continue to make these investments before inflation and other factors raise prices further.”
Manufacturing technology is called upon to perform other functions. Consider that the automation umbrella now covers process reliability, condition monitoring to provide early warning of impending mechanical problems, and safety instrumented systems that incorporate multiple devices to perform a single control function. Wireless data transfer is becoming a common mode of communication because it eliminates the headaches associated with rewiring the plant in the event of equipment relocations or major process revisions. Such flexibility is needed in an environment characterized by volatility in energy prices, electric utility pricing based on instantaneous demand and time of day, and variable quality in raw materials.
Automation has financial value. With so many products and options available, you should be able to identify several options that can improve manufacturing operations and make them much more reliable and safe.
Eaton's XV and XP Series operator interfaces offer Visual Designer software for interoperability, simplicity and security
Eaton's XV and XP Series operator interfaces are engineered to offer flexibility in design, communications and application. Each model comes equipped with Eaton’s Visual Designer software, which is designed for interoperability, simplicity and security, and allows for the design and implementation of graphical user interface (GUI) solutions.
AutomationDirect's Productivity3000 Programmable Automation Controller features 115,000 I/O points
AutomationDirect’s Productivity3000 Programmable Automation Controller combines the features and capabilities of a PC-based control system with that of a typical programmable logic controller (PLC). Productivity3000 is a modular, rack-based system of up to 115,000 I/O points with local, expansion and remote I/O bases, and a lineup of discrete, analog and specialty I/O modules.
Canary Labs' Canary Mobile uses graphical web page applications specifically designed for viewing on smartphones
Canary Labs' Canary Mobile for smartphones uses graphical web page applications specifically designed for viewing on smartphones, including the iPhone, BlackBerry and Droid. Displaying historical trend data and live updates, Canary Mobile is designed to allow customers to make decisions on the go.
Turck's M12 adapters are designed to connect incompatible round connectors
Turck's M12 adapters are designed to connect incompatible round connectors. The connectors can be used instead of reordering cables or adding junction boxes. The adapters may be used to connect two couplings, two plugs or a plug and a coupling. Available in straight and elbow tee versions, the adapters may be specified with A or B coding and custom-configured pinouts.
Siemens' ePS Network Services supports maintenance processes
ePS Network Services is an Internet-based service from Siemens that supports maintenance processes while simultaneously forming a platform for cross-company service support between OEMs and machine operators. The ePS platform is designed to offer data security and is compatible with network firewalls to increase the productivity and availability of machines.
Pentair's redesigned Schroff brand Midas cabinets house 19- or 23-inch rack-mount equipment
Pentair Technical Products' redesigned Schroff brand Midas cabinets are engineered to house a variety of 19- or 23-inch rack-mount equipment. Midas cabinets feature a fully welded steel frame, providing the ability to mount equipment, cable management, active cooling and other accessories.
Exlar's SLM and SLG rotary actuators are available with Class I, Division 2 certification
Exlar’s SLM and SLG rotary actuators are available with Class I, Division 2 certification, meeting application requirements for use in hazardous environments where flammable gases or vapors may be present. The SLM and SLG rotary actuators offer the same features as the standard models, including Exlar’s brushless servo motor and gearmotor technology.
Wika's M93X.D1 all-welded system is a drop-in retrofit for existing gauge or seal assemblies
The M93X.D1 all-welded system from Wika is a drop-in retrofit for existing gauge or seal assemblies. This seal and gauge assembly is engineered to reduce the total number of gauge requirements. The all-welded, tamper-resistant construction is designed for tightly controlled environmental emissions and safety applications.
Phoenix Contact's nLC-055 Nanoline controller features integrated analog inputs
Phoenix Contact introduces an upgraded base station for the Nanoline controller. The nLC-055’s four-function math capability and integrated analog inputs are designed to increase the Nanoline’s flexibility. The nLC-055 is engineered for small- to mid-size machines with limited I/O points.
Ashcroft's Type1279 Duragauge pressure gauge is available with Ashcroft PLUS! protection
The Ashcroft Type1279 Duragauge pressure gauge is available with Ashcroft PLUS! protection for installations subject to high vibration and pulsation. The Duragauge PLUS! is designed to quiet pointer flutter without the need for traditional liquid fill. The Ashcroft Duragauge PLUS! is available in any Duragauge pressure gauge case style or material.
Emerson Process Management's A6630 temperature module delivers critical bearing temperature measurements
Emerson Process Management announces the addition of a temperature module for the CSI 6500 Machinery Health Monitor. The A6630 temperature module is designed to complement the vibration monitoring capabilities of the CSI 6500 and deliver critical bearing temperature measurements. The A6630 module accepts RTD and thermocouple signals directly.
Kollmorgen's CVC600 vehicle controller is designed to handle any vehicle type, wheel configuration and navigation technology
Kollmorgen's CVC600 vehicle controllers are designed to fit where other vehicle controllers can’t. The controller features an IP65-classified design that is engineered to be immune to vibrations, unstable power supplies, temperature variations, humidity and dust.
Red Lion's XCENET Ethernet expansion card allows operators to isolate machine-level network traffic from the enterprise-level network
Red Lion Controls announces an Ethernet expansion card for the Data Station Plus and Modular Controller series products. The XCENET Ethernet expansion card is designed to allow operators to isolate machine-level network traffic from the enterprise-level network.
ProSoft Technology's ProSoft i-View app transforms mobile devices into human machine interfaces
The ProSoft i-View is a mobile phone application for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch platforms that is designed to transform these devices into mobile human machine interfaces to enable real-time remote process control. ProSoft i-View is designed to help control engineers remotely monitor and modify live data from programmable automation controllers (PAC) on an EtherNet/IP or Modbus TCP/IP network.