♦  Control Techniques has added a downloadable software tool to its Web site that calculates the savings possible by switching to variable speed drives. A dedicated section on the site now focuses on advising visitors how they can save energy, and providing real-life case studies.

♦  IMS Research is forecasting that sales of machine vision hardware will grow by 7.2% (or 9% in terms of units shipped), between 2008, when the global market was worth $1.6bn, and 2012, when it will be worth more than $2.1bn. Two-thirds of this growth is expected to come from Asia. Fierce competition, especially from Far Eastern manufacturers, is driving prices down, IMS says.

♦  The American National Standards Institute has approved a second standard in the ISA99 series, Security for Industrial Automation and Control Systems. ANSI/ISA-99.02.01-2009, Establishing an Industrial Automation and Control Systems Security Program, describes elements for setting up a cyber-security management system and provides guidance on how to meet the requirements for each element. The new standard follows last year’s publication of the first standard, which presented key concepts, terminology, and models. More ISA99 standards are being developed.

♦  Siemens has announced a range of Nema Premium high-efficiency motors for the US market that use aluminium rotors, making them cheaper, but slightly less efficient, than copper-rotor motors in the same housings. The motors are designed to meet the 2010 mandatory efficiency requirements specified in the 2007 Energy Independence & Security Act.

♦  The Wireless Co-operation Team (WCT) formed in September 2007, is said to be making good progress towards its goal of developing an interface specification and compliance guidelines for a universal wireless gateway that will be incorporated into the Hart, Foundation Fieldbus, Profibus and Profinet communications networks. The specification, due later this year, will make it easier for automation users to implement wireless technologies.