Controllers Add Features to Simplify System Configuration

As machine level communications become increasingly important in industrial facilities, design flexibility and enhanced functionality become essential. Siemens Industry, Inc. continues to advance with this in mind, simplifying automation system configuration by adding Shared Device, Intelligent Device (I-Device) and Media Redundancy Protocol (MRP) Profinet functionality to its SIMATIC S7-300 and S7-400 controllers. The enhancements deliver leaner and more versatile topology architectures... Read More

Software Trims Energy Consumption for Industrial Users

Industrial users can save money and help their companies reduce their carbon footprint by closely monitoring energy usage. The Siemens Industry Automation Division has extended two energy management products to run on more industrial systems. Version 4.0 of the Simatic powerrate software, which measures and monitors energy values in production, is now also suitable for Simatic S7-315 controllers and PC-based solutions using Simatic WinAC RTX 2010. Already available for the Simatic... Read More

Understanding Standards, Guideline and Codes Impacting Solar Power Equipment Industry

Experts from TÜV Rheinland cover the basics for solar equipment and component manufacturers who must comply with the regulations. Experts from TÜV Rheinland, which certifies many of the processes used to build and install electronic equipment, discussed segments of this vast regulatory environment in a Webinar entitled “Solar Energy Technologies: Insights to Regulatory Requirements.” They opened by explaining why the many rules and regulations were written. One is that solar... Read More

Turning Water into Oil

HydroWatch system monitors water used in oil shale drilling America’s need for energy continues to cause concerns for politicians and consumers as well as those who pull oil and gas from the earth. Demand for these natural resources continues to rise while prices fluctuate wildly and the uninterrupted availability of foreign oil remains uncertain. Fluctuations in supply and rising prices have driven oil and gas suppliers in the U.S. to focus more on domestic supplies. That’s... Read More

‘Floating’ Solar Tracker Technology Boosts Efficiency and Profit for Solar Farms

Trabant Solar’s innovative floating tracker increases profits for solar farms by more than 20% and efficiency by up to 42% over fixed-position systems. Pre-programmed controller, which scales up to 25 trackers, relies on easy-to-use function blocks from a special Siemens solar library.  Solar energy is becoming more viable as the green movement grows and pricing gets closer to matching existing utility rates. Infrastructure improvements such as the trackers that help position... Read More

SINEMA Server Software Removes Complexity of Network Troubleshooting

SINEMA Server software from Siemens simplifies network troubleshooting by enabling quick and easy identification of communication problems in Industrial Ethernet networks and connected terminal devices. By shortening response times to industrial network problems, manufacturers are capable of reducing or even avoiding downtime. The information collected by SINEMA Server can be viewed at any time on standard Web browsers like Internet Explorer or Firefox. The information can also... Read More