Control System World

AUSTIN, TEXAS (December 1, 2011)-- Emerson Process Management has been selected to provide the process automation system for Yunnann Chihong Zinc & Germanium Co., Ltd.’s Yunnan Huize lead and zinc processing plant. The plant in Yunnan Province, China, produces 100,000 tons of zinc and 60,000 tons of lead per year, and the company plans to expand smelting capacity to 1,000,000 tons in the next five years.

Emerson will provide a state-of-the-art control solution that includes its DeltaV™ digital automation system with DeltaV S-Series hardware, AMS Suite asset management software, and smart field devices using Foundation fieldbus and IEC 62591 (WirelessHART®) communications technology. AMS Suite will provide predictive field diagnostics to enable early detection of potential issues and proactive maintenance planning.

“We have established a strong working relationship with Yunnan Chihong Zn & Ge over the past several years, and this project moves us a step further in laying a solid foundation for strategic partnership.” said SweeChee Lee, Vice President & General Manager, Emerson Process Management China.

ASCo White Paper: Stainless steel pilot valves play small but critical roles in the control of offshore platforms and other demanding oil and gas production operations. Acting as pilots for process and larger emergency shutdown (ESD) valves, these valves are typically installed in a platform’s pneumatic logic control panels.

The valves are usually exposed to salt water and other challenging elements, so valve manufacturers all standardize on 316L stainless steel valve bodies. Panel builders, assemblers,  OEMs, contractors, and end users can choose from a wide variety of models, including air-operated, manually operated, solenoid-operated, and many more.

Specifiers and buyers must consider all the critical factors that bear on a given design’s reliability. The April 2010 platform loss and oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have only sharpened the industry’s focus. In the case of pilot valves, this means that operators must have robust valves that perform efficiently each time, every time.

To further read this white paper by ASCo please click 'Eight critical factors in purchasing offshore pilot valves'

Rotork has announced the acquisition of Prokits Ltd, a designer and manufacturer of valve adaptor kits and accessories for the valve industry, based in Mansfield, UK. Rotork has acquired all the share capital of Prokits.

Prokits has been known to Rotork for many years and the company has built an established customer base for valve adaptation kits and accessories. The sole owner of Prokits, Craig Mellins, has been appointed as General Manager of Rotork Valvekits into which the Prokits business will be merged.

Commenting on the acquisition, Rotork Chief Executive Peter France said: “The acquisition of Prokits, for which Craig Mellins has established a good reputation in the market over the last decade, will increase the customer base and scale of our Rotork Valvekits valve adaptation and accessory products business.”

RELEASE: Portland, ME, December 1, 2011 - Kepware Technologies, the leader in communications for automation, announced today that it has been selected by Weatherford International as their primary developer and provider of connectivity for their popular line of Rod Pump Controllers.

As a "Connected with Kepware" partner, Kepware will work closely with Weatherford to ensure they have the latest OPC connectivity standards and that our communications drivers deliver the highest quality and most reliable solution possible for their rod pump controllers. The new Weatherford 8500 driver runs on Kepware’s industry leading KEPServerEX communications platform providing Proven Interoperability, Centralized Communications, On Demand Scalability and Industrial Strength.

Detmold, 25 Nov. 2011 - Siemens honours its best suppliers each year – for those companies with long-term and profoundly optimised processes throughout the shared supply chain, technological expertise, sustainability, global presence and innovation. Weidmüller was nominated in the categories of sustainability, global value sourcing and drive through innovation. They were honoured as a finalist in the category "Best Overall Supplier 2011".

The prize was given to Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Volpert Briel by Barbara Kux, a member of the Managing Board of Siemens AG, Head of Supply Chain Management and Chief Sustainability Officer, in a ceremony for the Third Siemens Supplier Forum in Feldafing, Germany.

"This prize is a confirmation for us that we create added value for our customers through our innovation and our service," enthused Briel. He then took the trophy with him to Nürnberg to the SPS/IPC DRIVES automation trade fair, where it received a place of honour at Weidmüller's exhibition stand. "We are very proud of this award. It is the result of many years of superb cooperation between our employees – especially the sales teams with Siemens Purchasing" explains CEO Dr. Peter Kohler.