Instrumentation
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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers
Thermal Imaging For The Masses
January 31, 2011 5:46 am | Product Releases | CommentsFLIR (Portland, OR) has unveiled three distinct thermal imaging product lines for every budget. The FLIR i3 is a sub-$1,200 point-and-shoot infrared camera, and is an affordable upgrade from single-spot infrared thermometers or “temperature guns” with numerical readouts. It offers a 60 x 60 pixel resolution and 2 percent thermal accuracy, according to the company.
Always-Connected Case Scales
January 25, 2011 6:32 am | Product Releases | CommentsOssid (Rocky Mount, NC) manufactures the CS100 case scale, which is an NTEP-certified case scale that offers a range of real-time data management and data communications. Key features of the CS100 include: A Microsoft SQL database for seamless data integration and data transfers.
Test Your Hydraulic Systems
January 25, 2011 6:31 am | Product Releases | CommentsOmega Engineering, Inc. (Stamford, CT) is offering a new digital hydraulic tester, which is compact, lightweight, and self-contained. The tool is designed for fast diagnostic troubleshooting of all types of mobile or stationary hydraulic systems components, and it makes all flow pressure and temperature measurements simultaneously from one point.
See Into Any Crack
January 20, 2011 8:09 am | Product Releases | CommentsLenox Instrument Company (Trevose, PA) has announced the release of the Twist-A-View Borescope, which allows for full 360° inspections of tight, restricted areas with a simple twist of the scope. The rotation is made possible by a 90° right angle viewing adaptor. The 4mm diameter allows the 28” borescope to be used in tight locations, and produces a high-resolution image with 17,000 fiber optic pixels.
Dynamic Pressure Mapping
January 17, 2011 10:10 am | Product Releases | CommentsSensor Products Inc. (Madison, NJ) offers the Tactilus dynamic electronic pressure-mapping system for the packaging industry, which allows for the measurement of contact pressures between two mating surfaces. The system reveals critical pressure distribution problems that can compromise package integrity.
Higher-Temperature Crane Controls
January 4, 2011 8:27 am | Product Releases | CommentsMagnetek, Inc. (Menomonee Falls, WI) announces that its IMPULSE G+ and VG+ Series adjustable frequency crane controls have been rerated to an increased ambient temperature rating of 140°F. According to the company, this allows the IMPULSE controls to be used in high-temperature crane and hoist applications.
Protect Your Fingers And Hands
January 4, 2011 8:26 am | Product Releases | CommentsAutomationDirect (Cumming, GA) now offers machine safety devices for use in industrial applications in the form of two series of safety light curtains (active optoelectronic protective devices). The systems are ideal for human protection where risks cannot be eliminated by machine design, or if the process might require frequent access during operation.
Connectivity In All Sizes
January 3, 2011 7:02 am | Product Releases | CommentsAs part of its expanding package of control connectivity products, Balluff (Florence, KY) has introduced a full line of I/O Hubs to their I/O-Link device offering. Because one size does not fit all, Balluff is offering a large range, from M8 to M12 with plastic or metal housing. The line is offered with or without diagnostics, thus giving a user’s application the same level of short circuit and overload diagnostics.
Breakaway Cables Protect Technicians
January 3, 2011 4:09 am | Product Releases | CommentsIMI Sensors (Depew, NY) has announced the availability of breakaway safety cables designed to protect technicians and their equipment from being pulled into rotating machinery during route-based vibration monitoring. The cables quickly disconnect in the event that a sensor or analyzer cable becomes entangled when collecting data.
A 'Man' To Help Scan Barcodes
December 21, 2010 8:45 am | Product Releases | CommentsCognex Corporation (Natick, MA) has announced that a manufacturer of components in the aerospace industry has selected the Cognex DataMan handheld ID reader to help speed order processing and error-proof part handling at its production facilities worldwide. The DataMan 8500 reader can be used to scan ID codes marked on parts and on order sheets to verify that the orders have been correctly processed.
Multimeters And Calibrators, Combined
December 20, 2010 7:52 am | Product Releases | CommentsYokogawa (Newnan, GA) has announced the CA450 Process Multimeter, which combines the functionality of a digital multimeter and a 4-20mA loop calibrator into a single instrument. The CA450 allows maintenance personnel to source and measure with a single handheld tool, which helps minimize the amount of equipment users have to carry.
Thermal Imaging In High Definition
December 20, 2010 7:52 am | Product Releases | CommentsNEC Avio Infrared Technologies (San Fernando, CA) has introduced its new InfReC R300 high-definition thermal imager with a variety of capabilities, which includes a thermal movie recording mode, thermal/visible integrated images, a resolution (NETD) of 0.05°C, and an accuracy of ±1°C (1 percent).
Three Channels Are Better Than One
December 16, 2010 9:42 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe Microlog Analyzer GX series vibration measurement tool from SKF (San Diego, CA) offers one- to three-channel capabilities in a IP 65 rated unit. Because of the three-channel simultaneous triaxial input with a separate tachometer input, the Microlog GX can achieve fast and comprehensive data collection, according to the company.
Gas Analysis In Disposable Sensors
December 14, 2010 8:24 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe updated BTU1100 Portable Combustion Analyzer from E-Instruments (Langhorne, PA) is an all-in-one unit to meet the needs for a variety of maintenance staff. The instrument now comes with replaceable sensors for easy diagnostics, which also cuts out downtime and costly repair charges. The BTU1100 can detect O2, CO, and CO2.
Oscilloscopes For Any Environment
December 14, 2010 8:23 am | Product Releases | CommentsFluke Corporation (Everett, WA) has introduced the ScopeMeter 190 Series II handheld portable oscilloscopes, which are four-channel scopes designed for harsh industrial environments. They have been safety rated for CAT III 1000 V / Cat IV 600 V environments, and are fully isolated from each other to perform differential floating measurements.
Hand-Held Diagnostics
December 13, 2010 8:48 am | Product Releases | CommentsRIDGID (Elyria, OH) has expanded its existing diagnostic line with the addition of three new hand-held diagnostic tools: the micro LM-100 laser distance meter, the micro CD-100 combustible gas detector, and the micro IR-100 non-contact infrared thermometer. The micro LM-100 laser distance meter provides quick readings at up to 164 feet.
Spy On Your Building
November 29, 2010 9:01 am | Product Releases | CommentsWahl Instruments Inc. (Asheville, NC) has announced the addition of the HSI3000B to its line of Heat Spy Thermal Imaging Cameras. The system has been designed for building diagnostics, making it ideal for thermographers and building maintenance staff alike. The HIS3000B has a temperature sensitivity of 0.
Gas Detection Gets Durable
November 22, 2010 10:27 am | Product Releases | CommentsDetcon (The Woodlands, TX) has improved its Model PI-700 Photo-ionization gas detection sensor to better manage humidity drift and surface contamination, making it more reliable and durable. The Model PI-700 is a sensor that can detect and monitor a wide range of volatile organic compounds and toxic gases in the air.
Smartphone-Controlled Weighers
November 17, 2010 3:40 am | Product Releases | CommentsCombiScale Inc. (Opa Locka, FL) now allows for operators to control the company’s Primo Weigher 360 more easily — eliminating the need to go back and forth between the weigher and HMI interface — with only a Windows-based smart phone. Operators can execute any function, including a step-by-step wizard, run the automatic self-check start-up routine, or run a self diagnosis.
Inclinometers For Many Purposes
November 17, 2010 3:38 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe Fredericks Company (Huntingdon Valley, PA) has announced the release of its new Dual Axis Inclinometer with 0-5 V analog outputs (X and Y axes) for PWM and temperature. The new inclinometer is designed for all types of instrumentation and equipment, with an angle range of ±60° over the X and Y axis, 0.
Easy-To-Use Ohmmeter
November 12, 2010 8:43 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe DO4A digital ohmmeter from Seaward (Tampa, FL) uses True 4 Wire measurement to eliminate lead resistance errors across a range from 40mW to 4kW, with respective resolutions between 10mW and 1W. The unit is contained in an aluminum case with a tilted carrying handle, and input protection is provided up to 415 volts rms.
HMI Goes Touchscreen
November 8, 2010 8:24 am | Product Releases | CommentsMaple Systems (Everett, WA) has added two new Touchscreen Graphic HMIs to its family of OIT products. The new HMI5043T is a compact, 4.3”, 16:9 widescreen, while the HMI5104TH has a 10.4” screen. Both have an Ethernet port and VNC server that enables the user to remotely monitor and control the HMI from any location via a desktop computer, laptop, cell phone, and more.
Two Is Better Than One
November 2, 2010 12:09 pm | Product Releases | CommentsThe two-line intelligent panel meter technology from Davis Instruments (Vernon Hills, IL) — the Red Lion’s PAX2A — is designed for applications in which two parameters need to be visualized at the same time, such as indicating the temperature of an oven while displaying the set point value.
Hand-Held Air Quality Monitoring
November 1, 2010 8:09 am | Product Releases | CommentsThe AQ200 from E Instruments (Langhorne, PA) is a multi-functional, hand-held, and accurate indoor air quality monitor. The AQ200 has a CO2 sensor (0 - 5,000ppm), a CO sensor (0 – 1,000ppm), and can detect ambient temperatures from (-4 to 176°F), atmospheric air pressure, and humidity.
Plants Go Long-Range Wireless
November 1, 2010 8:08 am | Product Releases | CommentsOmega Engineering (Stamford, CT) has introduced their long-distance industrial wireless transmitters and receivers — the UWXL series — that are designed for a variety of applications, including temperature, infrared temperature, relative humidity, process transducers, as well as pH.
