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MARCH 2007 INDUSTRY NEWS

 

NAPT Appreciation Program - Giving Back to Participants

National Association for Proficiency Testing (NAPT) is very excited to share with you a new plan that is in the works which will result in a price reduction for interlaboratory comparisons/proficiency tests (ILC/PT) participation. The best way for NAPT to give back to the community which has supported NAPT over the years, is to introduce an appreciation program, the NAPT Appreciation Points Plan (NAPT-APP).

The program will be an earned points system based on PT participation and the number of ILC’s each organization participates in. The objective is for NAPT to give free enrollments back to the labs based on points earned through membership participation, thus reducing the cost of enrollment. NAPT’s Board of Directors plans to have the details fully defined early summer 2007, just in time for the NCSLI Conference.

NAPT would like to extend an invitation to our participants, sponsors and honored guests to attend an Open House/Golf Outing planned for Saturday, July 28, 2007, the day before the NCSLI Conference begins in nearby St. Paul, Minnesota.

Please contact Judy by phone at (763) 525-1488, or e-mail at judy@proficiency.org to R.S.V.P for the Golf Outing, the Barbeque and for Sponsorship.

More information about NAPT can be found at www.proficiency.org.

 

ISA EXPO 2007 in Canada March 27

EXPO 2007 is a "must see" event for Automation Professionals, Engineers, Operations, Maintenance, Purchasing and Educators who are involved with instrumentation and process control solutions. A wide variety of products and services will be exhibited including Instrumentation, Control Systems (PLC, DCS, Hybrid, Safety & more), Analytical, Environmental, Calibration & Test Equipment, Atmospheric, Fluid Handling, Industrial Software Solutions (HMI, Asset Monitoring, Engineering, etc..), Sensors, Valves, Actuators and Drives.

EXPO 2007 is an ideal venue for meeting suppliers, manufacturers, and distributors. Bring your colleagues and associates, share your ideas, discuss problems and difficult applications, and network with your peers in the automation industry. Do not miss this opportunity to visit the region's only local exhibition of Instrumentation, Measurement and Control technology; all in a 1-Day event. Free admission, plenty of free parking, lunch and a chance to win one of many door prizes are all part of the plans for ISA Hamilton EXPO 2007.

For more information visit www.isahamilton.com/expo.html.

 

Tektronix Reports Results for Third Quarter of Fiscal 2007

Tektronix, Inc. reported net sales of $265.8 million and net earnings from continuing operations of $19.5 million or $0.24 per share for the third quarter ended February 24, 2007. This compares with net sales of $262.1 million and net earnings from continuing operations of $24.9 million or $0.30 per share for the same period last year. Excluding acquisition-related costs, business realignment costs, one-time items and share-based compensation expense, net earnings from continuing operations were $31.1 million or $0.38 per share for the third quarter as compared with $31.1 million or $0.37 per share for the same period last year.

"During our third quarter, we saw continued strong demand in our Instruments business offset by weakness in orders in our Communications business due to a difficult comparison to the prior year and further softening in the market for these products," commented Rick Wills, Tektronix Chairman and CEO. "This resulted in overall orders that were down 2% from last year, sales that were up 1% and a sequential increase in backlog of 11%."

Orders for the Instruments business were up more than 10% over the prior year driven by continued strong demand for new products. Instruments business sales were flat with last year as we continued to build backlog for our newer products. "Customer response remains favorable to our strong flow of new products as demonstrated by the continued growth in Instruments business orders and the numerous industry awards in the quarter for our oscilloscopes, signal sources and spectrum analyzers," continued Wills.

The Instruments business continued to bring new products to market with the introduction of several new ultra high-performance oscilloscopes including the DSA72004, and the P7500, a new family of probes -- completing the line refresh we started last year of our mid to ultra-high end platforms. These new products provide the world's fastest performance and reinforce our commitment to provide our customers with the best tools available for testing next generation high-speed serial data applications.

For more information visit www.tektronix.com.

 

Plan to Attend the NCSLI 2007 Conference

This year’s theme: Metrology’s Impact on Products and Services
July 29-August 2, 2007
St. Paul RiverCentre
St. Paul, Minnesota
Registration is now open!

Visit NCSLI at http://www.ncsli.org/conference/2007/registration.cfm.

Every product and service that consumers use is highly dependent on metrology for a variety of reasons. From the fit and finish of our vehicles to weights and volumes of products purchased in the grocery and meat market, we are impacted at every level.

Metrology laboratories calibrate equipment used to determine whether component parts will be compatible whether those parts are used in a consumer product or in a commercial airliner. Metrology programs ensure that we receive the correct amount of gasoline when we visit the pump as well as ensuring the butcher’s scale is accurate.

A sound and cohesive metrology and quality system, from the National Metrology Institute to the end consumer affects the quality of life for everyone.

Theoretical

  • New or Improved Standards and Capabilities
  • Measurement Uncertainties (GUM; Bayesian)
  • Intrinsic Standards
  • Advances in Measurement Disciplines
  • Traceability Issues
  • Standards & Calibrations at National Metrology Institutes

Applied

  • Laboratory Automation
  • Calibration Processes or Procedures
  • Improvements or New Trends in Instrumentation
  • Interlaboratory Comparisons
  • Metrology applications in industry, government, telecommunications, automotive, chemistry, space, and other specialized disciplines

Management/Quality

  • ISO & ANSI Standards (ISO 900x, ISO/IEC 17025, ISO 17011, Z540-1, Z540-2, etc.)
  • Metrology Management Information Systems
  • Equipment Management
  • Laboratory Accreditation and Quality Processes
  • Metrology Education and Training
  • National & Regional Measurement Systems

 

Assurance Technology Group, LLC Receives $10.5M Job from NAWC-AD

Assurance Technology Group, LLC (ATG) has been awarded a 10.5 million dollar task-order under the Navy's Seaport-e contract to provide engineering support services to the Naval Aviation Warfare Center – Aircraft Division (NAWC-AD), Metrology Engineering Support Branch (MESB), at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station (NAS).

Metrology is defined by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM) as "...the science of measurement, embracing both experiment and theoretical determinations at any level of uncertainty in any field of Science and Technology." Metrology is a critical component of avionics. Sophisticated aircraft constantly need to monitor their environment to ensure proper operation of the aircraft--for example, wind speed, direction, and temperature.

ATG, along with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), will provide engineering, technical, management, and administrative services to the MESB over the five-year period of performance for the task-order.

ATG, founded in 2000, is a metrology-focused, veteran-owned, small business based in Lexington Park, Md. ATG currently provides engineering services to the Naval Aviation (NAVAIR) Metrology and Calibration Program Office, and the NAWC Air Combat Environment Test and Evaluation Facility.

ATG is led by Frank Griffo, founder, president, and CEO. Visit http://www.assurancetechgroup.com/home/ for more information.

 

Test and Measurement Tool Users Community

Fluke’s Test and Measurement Tool Users Community gets you in touch with other users of Fluke test and measurement equipment to discuss questions regarding applications and uses. There are forums on digital multimeters, clamp meters and testers, thermography, process instrument calibration, insulation resistance test, portable oscilloscopes and IR and contact thermometers. Issues such as power quality and harmonics, maintenance and troubleshooting, power distribution and more are included.

Go to www.flukecommunity.com.

 

AMETEK Unveils New Products and New Measurement and Calibration Technologies Division

AMETEK Inc. unveiled the latest additions to its analytical instruments business at the 2007 Pittsburgh Conference that took place at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.

Among the products introduced were:

  • EDAX Apollo Series SDD and the Hikari high-speed EBSD that represent the latest advancements in X-ray microanalysis and electron diffraction instrumentation
  • SPECTRO ARCOS ICP Optical Emission Spectrometer for ultra-trace analysis of metals and organic materials and SPECTRO iQII X-ray fluorescence analyzer for solids, powders, and liquids
  • JOFRA™ ATC-125 Ultra Cooler, the first dry block calibrator with a temperature range of -90oC to 125oC and JOFRA DPC-500 high-accuracy handheld pressure calibrator
  • Model IPS-4 Integrated Process Spectrophotometer with non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) platform and integrated sampling system designed for demanding industrial environments
  • Grabner® Instruments MINIVIS 445 portable micro-viscometer for fuels and other liquids and MINIFLASH Series of advanced flash-point testers.
    Measurement and Calibration Technologies Division

AMETEK also announced the formation of a new Measurement and Calibration Technologies Division, which combines its Sensor Technology, U.S. Gauge, and Test & Calibration Instruments divisions into a single division with annual sales of approximately $135 million.

"The combined division allows us to better leverage our manufacturing, engineering and distribution capabilities and improve our overall competitive position," comments David A. Zapico, President, AMETEK Electronic Instruments Group. "It also provides us with a broader view of the marketplace, affording us greater opportunities to serve our customers and to growth through acquisition and product development."

AMETEK, Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices with annual sales of more than $1.8 billion. Its Electronic Instruments Group is a recognized leader in a wide range of analytical and process instruments with 2006 sales of more than $1 billion.

For more information visit Ametek at www.ametek.com.

 

Atomic Clock Signals May Be Best Shared by Fiber-Optics

Time and frequency information can be transferred between laboratories or to other users in several ways, often using the Global Positioning System (GPS). But today’s best atomic clocks are so accurate—neither gaining nor losing one second in as long as 400 million years—that more stable methods are needed. The best solution may be to use lasers to transfer data over fiber-optic cables, according to scientists at JILA, a joint institute of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The use of fiber-optic channels to transfer time signals allows accurate comparisons of distantly located atomic clocks of different types. This could lead, for example, to enhanced measurement accuracy in experiments to determine whether so-called “constants of nature” are in fact changing. Sharing of clock signals via fiber also will enable synchronization of components for advanced X-ray sources at linear accelerators, which may power studies of ultrafast phenomena in chemistry, biology, physics and materials science; or link arrays of geographically distributed radio telescopes to produce the power of a giant telescope.

This news article is continued on NIST’s site at http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/techbeat/tb2007_0301.htm#clock.

 

ISA Calgary 2007

April 11-12, 2007
Stampede Park, Calgary, Alberta, CANADA

ISA Calgary 2007 is Canada’s largest and most comprehensive exhibition of measurement and control technologies, products and services. Meet over 300 leading industry suppliers, source new distributors, compare new equipment and technologies, and explore alternatives in design, engineering and manufacturing. Coupled with leading technology presentations and the bi-annual Instrumentation Systems Automation (ISA) Conference, the ISA 2007 Show & Conference delivers valuable knowledge regarding the latest industry innovations.

For more information visit http://www.petroleumshow.com/isacalgary/.

 

ISA Announces Details of 53rd Annual International Instrumentation Symposium

ISA's International Instrumentation Symposium, sponsored by the Aerospace Industries, Test Measurement, and Process Measurement and Control Divisions, will be held 30 April - 3 May at the Doubletree Hotel, Warren Place, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This annual event gives attendees an opportunity to gain comprehensive technical information and training in the traditional areas of measurements/sensors, instrumentation systems, data and advanced system/sensor technology. Many innovative presentations are planned on state-of-the-art topics, ranging from new technologies to new applications.

"The 53rd IIS Symposium is the main forum for new and innovative instrumentation techniques," said symposium General Chair Roger Blais of The University of Tulsa. "This event gives instrumentation professionals a chance to get together, share best practices, and learn from experts in the field."

Training courses offered at the event include classes focused on wireless technology, measurement uncertainty, and process measurement sensors. The conference will also feature a vendor exhibit, an awards luncheon honoring notable industry professionals, and a networking reception. The awards luncheon will feature a keynote speaker, Donald Hamilton, from the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism (MIPT) in Oklahoma City, the site of the April 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building.

For more information about the symposium, or to register, visit www.isa.org/iis.

 

Improvements Funded for Illinois Department of Agriculture Metrology Lab

Capital Development Board (CDB) Executive Director Jan Grimes announced $465,000 to construct an airlock at the Department of Agriculture’s Metrology Lab, a facility at the Illinois State Fairgrounds that certifies weights used around the state for official measurements. The project will allow the facility to better control temperature and humidity levels and thus maintain its accreditation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Chuck Hartke joined Grimes in making the announcement today at the Metrology Lab on behalf of Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich, who awarded the funds.

"Certifying weights and measures is one of the important but lesser known duties of the Department of Agriculture. This project will improve productivity and help the department keep its vital accreditation," said Grimes.

Measuring devices must be tested under strict environmental conditions, but those conditions are difficult to maintain in the part of the lab where weights as heavy as 5,000 pounds are certified. In order to move these massive weights, they are suspended from an I-beam that runs both inside and outside of the building. While the I-beam helps to load and unload them, it also lets outside air into the laboratory. The airlock addition will enclose this area, enabling the lab to maintain proper temperature and humidity levels.

The funding announcement comes on the eve of National Weights & Measures Week, "Weights & Measures: The Foundation of Commerce in a Global Economy," which runs March 1 – 7. The week marks the 208th anniversary of the first weights and measures laws enacted by the United States Congress.

For more information visit http://www.agr.state.il.us/newsrels/r0228071.html.

 

Hexagon Metrology Forms Portable Metrology Group and Web Site

Hexagon Metrology has launched its new Portable Metrology Group to serve the North American inspection and measurement marketplace. The Hexagon PMG Group will serve as a single source for portable CMMs (coordinate measuring machines), including Leica Geosystems laser trackers and ROMER portable arms, used worldwide by the aerospace, automotive, heavy machinery and general engineering industries. A new Web site is now available at http://www.portablecmm.us.

"Like any large company with a wide range of products, Hexagon Metrology has to consistently evaluate, unify, and simplify infrastructure," states Bill Gruber, president of Hexagon Metrology. "Growth is an evolutionary process of consolidation. Our measurement technologies fall into clear vertical segments: portable CMMs, stationary CMMs and hand-held measurement devices. By forming the Portable Metrology Group, we can better serve our customer base in the mobile metrology arena, and get the appropriate technical information into their hands."

The Hexagon Portable Metrology Group also introduces new product literature featuring articulating arms, laser trackers, theodolites, wireless probes and rapid noncontact scanning technologies. Online versions of PMG product literature can be found on the Web site home page.

 

Emerson Voted Best Provider of Process Management Technologies and Services

Emerson Process Management, an Emerson business, has been voted the best supplier of process management technologies in CONTROL Magazine's 2007 Readers' Choice Awards (http://www.emersonprocess.com/home/products/rchoice2007.html). It marks the 14th consecutive year that the company has captured the user-voted recognition.

Emerson's intelligent measurement, final control and analytical field devices, and its control/automation systems — all key components of its industry-leading Plan Web® digital plant architecture — have consistently won the most categories. Emerson's professional services also led the user voting in this year's Readers Choice Awards.

Emerson was named the best for delivering quality products and customer service by industry professionals — in engineering, plant operations, research and development and other technical areas — who were asked to enter the name of the best provider in each category. Entries were unaided rather than selecting from a list of suppliers.

"We are delighted to be acknowledged by such substantial numbers of process industry professionals, a clear affirmation of our approach to addressing customer needs," said John Berra, president of Emerson Process Management. "Our focus is not only providing excellence in technology and products, but also being recognized for our approach to service. This recognition spurs us to make additional investments to deliver what our customers want."

Emerson products and software received 31 first place awards, nearly four times the nearest competitor. Emerson's professional services received top rankings in seven customer service performance categories, more than twice the nearest competitor.

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