Automation & Control
Serial device servers for extreme applications
Phoenix Contact This company has extended its FL COM-Server serial device server product range (photo) with two special versions with an extended temperature and supply voltage range. COM servers enable devices with serial interfaces to be smoothly integrated into Ethernet…
A new vortex flowmeter for advanced energy measurement
Optiswirl 4200 is a new vortex flowmeter for the measurement of conducting and non-conducting liquids, gases and steam. The new device is targeted at auxiliary and supply applications in various industries, such as internal monitoring of energy flows for saturated…
This viscometer has several new features
The new DV1 Viscometer is this company’s lowest-cost, continuous-sensing digital viscometer in its family of instruments. The head of the DV1 Viscometer features a new shape and a larger easy-to-read display. Multiple language choices are now included and the user…
An infrared pyrometer with thermal imaging capabilities
The ISR 6-TI Advanced pyrometer uses a built-in video camera with infrared (IR) filter to improve manufacturing processes in metals, glass and other heat-dependent manufacturing industries. The ISR 6-TI Advanced is said to be a true breakthrough by combining pyrometry…
Comsol releases Multiphysics 5.0 with new Application Builder
Comsol, Inc. (Burlington, Mass.; www.comsol.com) says it redefines the engineering simulation market with the release of COMSOL Multiphysics software version 5.0, featuring extensive product updates, three new add-on products, and the new and revolutionary Application Builder. With the Application Builder,…
High-strength steel checkup
Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Nondestructive Testing (IZFP; Saarbrücken, Germany; www.izfp.fraunhofer.de) have developed the so-called Magnus hybrid — an inspection system that combines micromagnetic and ultrasound techniques to characterize materials. The micromagnetic method helps determine hardness, tensile strength and…
Focus on Simulation and Modeling Software
Track energy consumption with this new software This month, this company is releasing Energy Performance Analytics (EP-Analytics; photo), a software tool that uses energy performance indicators (EnPI) to track how energy is being consumed in a plant, identifies gaps between…
Design of Experiments (DoE): Optimizing Products and Processes Efficiently
Experiments are done to quantify cause-and-effect relationships between adjustable parameters (inputs, factors, x) and the results (outputs, responses, y). They help to answer questions like: How do the ingredients and proportions of a mixture (inputs) influence its properties (outputs)? How…
Portable meters for flowrate, pressure and temperature
Alicat Scientific This company’s new, rechargeable, portable gas-mass flowmeters (photo) feature reading accuracy of ±0.8% with 18 h of continuous operations available on a single charge. These meters feature rapid multi-parameter measurements capable of producing live readouts of mass and…
Use this temperature transmitter in areas with space limitations
The M12TX temperature transmitter (photo) features a sensor with a built-in programmable transmitter, molded connector, 4–20-mA output and a –50 to 500°C temperature range. The probe is ideal for areas where traditional head connections are too large to fit. The…