Archives for January 11, 2017

Industrial robot revenue will triple by 2025, says report

January 11, 2017 by Mark Allinson

ABI Research forecasts revenues will reach nearly $45 billion in 2025, fueled by Chinese demand

ABI Research forecasts that industrial robot shipments will exhibit an average year-over-year growth rate of 16 per cent by 2021.

As industrial robots continue to infiltrate the workforce to increase production efficiencies, this will result in annual revenue exceeding $30 billion in 2020 and nearly $45 billion in 2025.

The automotive sector will remain the leading acquirer of industrial systems, even as it loses share to other growing industry verticals, including the electrical and electronics, rubber, and plastics industries. [Read more…] about Industrial robot revenue will triple by 2025, says report

Office building in Montreal given top energy-efficiency certification

January 11, 2017 by Mark Allinson

A landmark building in Montreal, Canada has been given an energy-efficiency certification.

Le 1500, an office building on Robert-Bourassa Boulevard in Montreal, is now “Leed” certified in the category of “Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance” by the Canada Green Building Council.

The building was designed and developed by real estate company Ivanhoé Cambridge. [Read more…] about Office building in Montreal given top energy-efficiency certification

Johnson Controls launches ‘unique’ water and energy saving system

January 11, 2017 by Mark Allinson

johnson controls bluestream — Johnson Controls says its BlueStream Hybrid Cooling System helps customers address water and energy challenges in their facilities

Johnson Controls says it has developed a “unique, innovative and industry-leading solution” to help customers address water and energy challenges in facilities through more efficient cooling tower operations.

The solution, called the BlueStream Hybrid Cooling System, will be featured at the 2017 Air-Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration Expo in Las Vegas (booth C3124).

Johnson says BlueStream features a groundbreaking technology – thermosyphon hybrid cooling – to reduce water consumption in traditional cooling tower systems by 25 to 80 percent compared to all-evaporative heat rejection systems. It also maintains peak process output and energy efficiency on the hottest summer days. [Read more…] about Johnson Controls launches ‘unique’ water and energy saving system

Honeywell partners Aereon for oil and gas IIoT

January 11, 2017 by Mark Allinson

Honeywell and Aereon say they will collaborate on solutions to help industrial customers boost the safety, efficiency and reliability of their operations by leveraging Honeywell’s Industrial Internet of Things ecosystem.

“For years, manufacturers and producers have looked for ways to solve operational problems that were believed to be unsolvable – such as unplanned downtime, underperforming assets and inefficient supply chains,” said Andrew Hird, vice president and general manager of Honeywell Process Solutions’ Digital Transformation business.

“With the capabilities of the IIoT, we can find new ways to solve those problems. A key part is the creation of an industrial ecosystem that leverages the depth of knowledge and experience of a range of equipment and service providers such as Aereon.” [Read more…] about Honeywell partners Aereon for oil and gas IIoT

That drug, man… it, like, uh, really ties the artificially intelligent, automated greenhouse together… you know?

January 11, 2017 by David Edwards

“I’m the Dude, so that’s what you call me. That or, uh, His Dudeness, or, uh, Duder, or El Duderino, if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.”

Dope, weed, grass, cannabis, marijuana, or even pot – if, like Hollywood superstar Jeff Bridges, you live in the 1970s and make classic stoner films like The Big Lebowski.

There are hundreds of words for what is probably the most widely used recreational drug in the world. It’s still illegal in much of the world, but some states in the US have taken what many see as an enlightened view and decided they would rather not spoil someone else’s rug, or take it away. [Read more…] about That drug, man… it, like, uh, really ties the artificially intelligent, automated greenhouse together… you know?

Construction: Interference could undermine development of crane technology

January 11, 2017 by David Edwards

Keith Armstrong, worldwide electromagnetic compatibility specialist at EMC Standards, looks at problems with electrical interference and how construction managers can minimise their risk

Cranes are synonymous with the idea of development. Typically used to construct buildings, cranes aid the economic and social development of a town or city. However, cranes suffer from a persistent problem that is indicative of a significant threat to the future of technology: interference.

In the early days of the UK Department of Trade and Industry’s EMC Awareness Campaign, there was an infamous incident where a man was crushed to death by a crane. In this case, electrical interference caused the crane to prematurely release its load while the man was operating it with his radio-control pendant. Unfortunately, this tragedy is not an isolated incident.

There was another incident with a company that claimed to have made the controls and drives for the first large scale hovercraft-testing tank in the late 1960s. It was, in effect, a sophisticated travelling overhead crane, which ran the length of a gantry along overhead rails and towed a hovercraft shape along a large pool of water in an even larger building. In those days, they used resistor-transistor logic, which ran on a 40 V rail to provide noise immunity.