Automation Update

• Industry Update

Summary

This content is courtesy of Automation.com

Jump to:

• Advanced technologies for manufacturing
• President Obama to open HANNOVER MESSE 2016
• AC adjustable speed drive systems guide
• IoT alliance program

Advanced technologies for manufacturing

Advanced technologies are shaping the future of manufacturing, according to a study by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited's Global Consumer and Industrial Products industry group and the U.S. Council on Competitiveness.

The study-drawn from dozens of face-to-face interviews with chief technology officers, chief research leaders, and directors of national research facilities-highlights the strengths and future vulnerabilities of the U.S. innovation ecosystem. It also identifies 10 of the most promising advanced manufacturing technologies:

1. predictive analytics
2. smart, connected products (Internet of Things)
3. advanced materials
4. smart factories (Internet of Things)
5. digital design, simulation, and integration
6. high-performance computing
7. advanced robotics
8. 3D printing and scanning
9. open-source design/direct customer input
10. augmented reality

In the U.S. alone, advanced industries support 40 million workers and account for $2.7 trillion in output, according to third-party data cited in the study. The U.S. is expected to retain a leadership position in research, technology, and innovation thanks to the strong foundation established over the past century. The U.S. innovation ecosystem possesses the critical attributes that put it at the forefront of cutting-edge science, technology and innovation. These attributes include an educational system that fosters creative thinking, world-leading universities, and superior talent. They also include an excellent research infrastructure, low hurdles to entrepreneurial innovation, and strong support for regional innovation groups.

President Obama to open HANNOVER MESSE 2016

President Barack Obama will join German Chancellor Angela Merkel to open HANNOVER MESSE 2016. This year the U.S. is the partner country for the first time at the large trade fair for industrial technology, which runs 25-29 April in Hannover, Germany. Obama will appear at the fair's official opening ceremony on 24 April and is also scheduled for the traditional opening tour of the fair with Merkel on 25 April. Among the approximately 5,000 companies exhibiting, about 250 companies from the U.S. will present their solutions for networked industry at the Hannover Exhibition Center and meet potential business partners from all over the world.

"President Obama's participation sends a special signal about HANNOVER MESSE's international appeal," said Jochen Köckler, PhD, member of the managing board at Deutsche Messe AG. "And the timing is perfect: in the midst of its reindustrialization, the United States has become a very attractive business partner for industry. For German machinery and plant manufacturers, the USA is once again the number-one market."

AC adjustable speed drive systems guide

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) published NEMA ICS 7.2-2015 Application Guide for AC Adjustable Speed Drive Systems. This guide helps users select and apply the proper alternate current (AC) adjustable speed drive system. It covers AC electrical drive systems rated 600 volts or less, consisting of three-phase induction motors, voltage-source pulse-width modulated adjustable frequency controls, and associated components. It also addresses common issues that should be considered when selecting drive system components and the installation and application of the drive system.

IoT alliance program

Kepware Technologies announced the launch of its Internet of Things (IoT) alliance program. The alliance is composed of a strategic network of IoT solution providers committed to growing global IoT market potential and shaping the direction of industry through smart technology, thought leadership, and marketing initiatives. Alliance members will have access to proprietary technology from Kepware, so their respective solutions can access industrial data from the communications platform KEPServerEX.

There are 10 founding members participating in Kepware's IoT Alliance: Aizoon, Altizon, DeviceLynk, Falkonry, Informatica, IOT Technology Solutions, mnubo, Perseus, Splunk, and ThingWorx (a PTC business). IoT alliance members can participate in a connected network of more than 40 technology partners, 80 system integrators, and 90 Kepware resellers operating in more than 100 countries. By establishing relationships between alliance members and existing partners, the company aims to introduce members to new markets and opportunities.

Open integration partner program

Endress+Hauser is starting an open integration partner program that includes AUMA, HIMA Paul Hildebrandt, Honeywell Process Solutions, Mitsubishi Electric, Pepperl+Fuchs, Rockwell Automation, R. STAHL, and Schneider Electric. Cooperation starts with what are known as "reference topologies," which the open integration partners work out jointly. Each reference topology is tailored to the customer's applications and the field communication technologies used in these applications.

Depending on the industrial segment and market, the focus will be on typical requirements, such as availability, redundancy, or explosion protection, followed by the selection of system components and field instruments of practical relevance. This exact combination will then be tested and documented before it is published as a joint recommendation, giving customers concrete and successfully validated suggestions for automating their plants.

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Linked In