25 New Tech Trends for Entrepreneurs [Weekend Read]

Entrepreneur.com  has recently published a list of the top 25 tech tips, trends and megatrends: what's new now, what will be new tomorrow and what you can expect to grapple with even farther down the road. Take a look at the full article and you will see full descriptions and tips to help you keep that next new day under control.

Image Source: entrepreneur.com

Vote for the Leadership in Automation 2014 Award by Automation World

Voting is still open for top Process Automation by Automation World

Case Study: Key Solution Systems de Mexico Improves time to market & Technology update by up to 20%

Challenges

• Wonderware products that are integrated with Microsoft technologies allow for:
• Better visibility of plant operations
• Better integration between plant and enterprise (business systems)
• Better integration between plant and controls (automation)
• Better use of technologies (cloud, mobility, big data)
• Easier acquisition of Microsoft products (SQL Server)

Testimonials

“Our customers have better process operations. Real time information is the key for our customers’ decision making.”

How to Optimize Clean-in-Place Processes in Food and Beverage Operations

Existing clean-in-place processes are time intensive and waste large amounts of energy, water, and chemicals. New innovations in CIP technology allow plant operators to cut costs in an earth-friendly manner while still conforming to regulatory safety standards. This paper explains how new CIP technologies can improve production efficiency by at least 20% while enhancing the ability to track consumption activity throughout the various steps of the cleaning cycle.

SCADA Security: Challenges and Solutions

SCADA systems control some of the most vital infrastructure in industrial and energy sectors, from oil and gas pipelines to nuclear facilities to water treatment plants. Security of control systems is a growing concern for many reasons: the networking of systems, unsecure remote connections, standardized technologies, and the availability of technical information. This paper examines the factors that have contributed to the growing vulnerability of control systems, and presents new standards designed to protect critical infrastructure.

Case Study: Microsoft is the Foundation for Vector Limited and together with Wonderware Software Improves Product/Process Integration by over 30%

Challenges
Wonderware products that are integrated with Microsoft technologies allow for:

• Better visibility of plant operations
• Better integration between plant and controls (automation)

Use Case
Uses the following Wonderware software products:

• Wonderware InTouch
• Wonderware Historian (InSQL)
• Wonderware Historian Client (ActiveFactory)

Image Source: Vector Limited

Schneider Electric Makes It Easy to Implement OMAC PackML

HOUSTON – November 13, 2014 – Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management, has made it significantly easier for customers and machine builders to realize the benefits of the OMAC PackML standard without having to replace existing control and automation infrastructure.

"OMAC PackML simplifies interconnection across packaging systems and enterprise applications, but it requires processing power beyond the capacity of many PLCs that are already installed on production lines,” Norm Thorlakson, vice president of Schneider Electric's HMI and supervisory software business. “But that doesn’t mean customers need to replace their controllers. Since no two machines or applications are exactly the same, our Wonderware^® OMAC PackML demo template can be integrated with any controller and run on any computer. Offering this new capability removes the need to build in supervisory PackML features, change existing PLC code or replace PLCs and other controllers. It’s a game-changing approach that represents our ongoing investment and commitment to a core industry offering.”

Make decisions at the speed of your process [eBook]

From the critical chemical processes of explosive factories, the workflow systems at pharmaceutical plants to the downtime analysis solutions of your favorite food and beverage plants, Wonderware provides manufacturing execution solutions for industry.

Make decisions at the speed of your process.

Control, manage and tune your process using real-time production and “as-built” data with Wonderware Manufacturing Execution Systems. Faster than you can say “batch."

We are Better Together

Take a look at this short video to see how the Schneider Electric and Invensys combined offer a deeper, broader and long-term value to customer globally.

Wonderware Software Makes Machine Performance, OEE and OMAC PackML Easy

Company executive demonstrates how to benefit from new packaging standards without replacing existing PLCs

In a special session on Sunday, November 2, Niels Andersen, Schneider Electric’s vice president of global industry solutions, will show PACK EXPO 2014 attendees how to benefit from new packaging standards without replacing existing PLCs.

During the presentation, end users and OEMs, including CPG customers and machine builders, will learn how to implement the new OMAC PackML standard and achieve powerful OEE functionality without having to rip and replace existing automation infrastructure. The solutions and techniques discussed will help end users reduce the cost of integration while allowing for continuous performance monitoring and improving overall equipment effectiveness.

Trends in Packaging Automation, and How to Leverage Them When Developing HMI Applications

As we are getting ready for the  Pack Expo in 2014 we’ve decided to take a close look at the packaging automation market, and discuss ways in which Wonderware software  applications can be developed for the packaging market. To discuss the Wonderware software offerings we will be on exhibit at PACK EXPO 2014 in Chicago from November 2 to November 5 in Booth E 7130. In addition, Niels Andersen will be on the innovation stage on  Sunday, November 2, 2014 2:00-2:30 PM ( PACKEXPO N-4570) providing “A practical example of how to get the benefits of OMAC PackML without having to replace the existing PLC”

When developing applications for the packaging automation market, either as an OEM or as the application developer for a product packaging line, it’s important to look at some of the trends of the packaging market, and develop applications that not only meet your current requirements, but have the flexibility to develop and change along with the industry. Here are a few trends developing across the packaging industry:

Easily Customizable HMI Templates – Another trend that is applicable to both OEMs and application developers for the packaging of a product line is the standardization of HMIs, and the creation of template applications that can be easily customized. An HMI with a standard look and feel greatly reduces the learning curve required for training machine operators. Template HMIs designed to offer a consistent look and feel make it incredibly easy to reduce both development time and training time for the end user. When creating standardized HMIs and customizable HMI templates, plan navigation and screen options for a wide variety of uses, so that screens can be customized for different machines quickly and efficiently.

OMAC* PackML and Other Production Improvement Resources

Another trend is the OMAC PackML, a controls language standard which improves communication and interoperability between devices. Based on its Wonderware InTouch Machine Edition human machine interface and Wonderware Historian software offerings, the Wonderware OMAC PackML solution includes the PackML State Model, Control Modes and PackTags, providing a well-defined pattern for describing machine conditions and sharing the information with users and other systems. It simplifies machine-to-machine communication, more tightly integrating packaging systems with production line systems while reducing the communication burden on real-time control systems. Additionally, a configurable user interface shows machine operators exactly how much time they have spent in each machine state and provides an overview of the most common reasons a system might stop. This enables the operator to correct problems in real time, before stops can negatively impact the business.