Siemens SIMATIC Field PG M4: The Ultimate in Mobile Engineering

Siemens Industry, Inc., has introduced the SIMATIC Field PG M4. The newest generation of this ready-to-use, robust programming device comes ready for Intel® Core i7. Housed in a compact notebook format, the Field PG MR is available in three powerful grades: standard, premium, and premium plus. The grades are differentiated by memory configuration and processor performance. Because of its rugged industrial design, the Field PG M4 is ideal for harsh industrial applications. Powerful... Read More

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SIWAREX WP231 Weighing Module Offers Flexibility and Precision

The new SIWAREX WP231 weighing module from Siemens Industry offers a high level of flexibility in industries where reliability and precision are crucial, including food and beverage, pharmaceutical and chemical. The weighing module may be used as a standalone device or integrated into Siemens SIMATIC S7-1200 controller configured with the Totally Integrated Automation (TIA) Portal engineering platform.  Its excellent measuring abilities include a high resolution of one million... Read More

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New SCALANCE M Product Family Enhances Secure, Remote Access of Industrial Networks

Siemens Introduces New Cellular Modem with Security Integrated New components with integrated security functions from the Siemens Industry Automation Division allow users to securely access remote stations for monitoring and maintenance. Siemens expands its Industrial Communication Portfolio with the new Scalance M product family. The first device to be released in the Scalance M family is the Scalance M875. The M875 is a 3G/UMTS router designed to provide cost-effective, secure... Read More

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RFID Readers are Easy to Integrate

Siemens has expanded its SIMATIC RF200 RFID system family with three readers that offer the IO-Link interface, which makes it simple to integrate RFID readers into automation systems. The system requires No RFID-specific programming, and it automatically delivers data read by the transponder. The point-to-pointIO-Link interface is an economical solution for an easy and openc onnection. Complex programming is no longer necessary and the devices are connected via IO-Link master... Read More

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New Burner Management System Solutions Offer Greater Flexibility, Cost-effective Compliance

Siemens Industry Sector in the U.S. has released SIMATIC Burner Management System (BMS) solutions, providing end users greater flexibility and cost-effective compliance to the revised 2011 burner standards. SIMATIC Burner Management Systems offer all you need to monitor, control, diagnose and maintain the various aspects of your fuel burning equipment. With TUV certified hardware and customizable software, the compact BMS300F and BMS 151F systems comply with the required NFPA,... Read More

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Network Diagnostics: Best Practices and Pitfalls to Avoid

Spotting network saturation points and quickly identifying and replacing bad ports to minimize downtime are key benefits of using the right diagnostic tools for industrial networks. Keeping automation networks running efficiently has become one of the most important requirements for maintaining an efficient industrial automation system. Thankfully, the managers entrusted with this critical task can turn to a number of diagnostic tools that can help them find ways to fine tune... Read More

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Fitting Energy Management Strategies into Sustainable Practices

How to monitor and analyze energy costs in an industrial automation application. Includes strategies for uncovering and avoiding costly spikes that exceed utilities’ maximum allowable demand. According to Nobel-winning writer (and co-founder of the London School of Economics) George Bernard Shaw, the only man he knew who behaved sensibly was his tailor. “He takes my measurements each time he sees me,” he said. “The rest go on with their old measurements and expect me to... Read More

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Realizing the Potential of Automation Integration

Integrating control systems used to be an ongoing exercise in jury-rigging bridges between islands of automation. Different processes would have disparate controllers, often with disparate control logic packages leading to a near endless state of troubleshooting and massaging systems so they would get along. Every time you added a new system or piece of equipment you would have to revisit your integration efforts to make sure you hadn’t compromised something. “Even today,... Read More

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Remote Connectivity: The Right Approach Delivers Big Payoffs

The need for remote access to industrial equipment is growing rapidly, driven by a multitude of factors. But before plant managers open factories to outside control, they need to consider myriad issues such as security, ease of use and control of the network. As Ethernet gains acceptance in the industrial world, it opens the door to remote access, letting managers use the Internet, cellular links or network gateways to access equipment from other corporate facilities, hotel rooms... Read More

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RFID Improves Processes and Profitability

Product identification has evolved rapidly over the last decade as advanced techniques let companies get more data using systems that are easier to install. Radio Frequency Identification is seeing a rapid takeoff, employing readers that can monitor products that aren’t directly in their line of sight. RFID provides a number of benefits that can make it more viable than bar codes and other printed technologies. It eliminates the line of sight viewing that’s needed for printed... Read More

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