Ian Melin-Jones
Vacon reforms its organization
Vacon is developing its organization. The restructuring is a response to the needs brought about by growth. The parent company Vacon Plc is divided into two functional entities: The Vacon Drives Finland Profit Centre and Global Group Management. At the same time, the company also reforms its Products and Markets organization. The new organization will be in effect from 1 June 2010.
The new Vacon Drives Finland Profit Centre will include the production operations of the Vaasa factory in Finland as well as the Finland R&D, product management and maintenance and after sales functions related to the products manufactured in Vaasa.
Jukka Kasi has been appointed Vice President of Vacon Drives Finland. Kasi will also continue as a member of Vacon’s Management Team responsible for Group-level development projects.
”The change will bring a harmonized management system to every locality where Vacon has production and R&D activities, thus better supporting the growth objectives of our company,” says Vesa Laisi, President and CEO of the Vacon Group.
At the same time, Vacon’s global product marketing will be divided into two lines: motor control AC drives and AC drives for renewable energy production. ”With this restructuring, we seek to create an unambiguous organizational structure that supports our determined efforts for growth, both in the field of traditional motor control and that of renewable energy production,” says Heikki Hiltunen, Executive Vice President responsible for products and markets.
Vacon in brief
Vacon is driven by a passion to design, manufacture and sell only the best AC drives on the planet — and nothing else. AC drives can be used to control electric motors or to help generate power from renewable sources. Vacon has R&D and production units in Finland, the United States, China and Italy, and sales offices in 27 countries. In 2009, Vacon had revenues of EUR 272 million and globally employed 1,200 people. Vacon’s shares (VAC1V) are listed and publicly traded on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.
Driven by Drives, www.vacon.com
Vacon Plc
Further information
- Vesa Laisi, President and CEO, tel. +358 40 8371 510
- Sebastian Linko, Director, Corporate Communications, tel. +358 40 8371 634
Welcome to the new SPCI!
On 17–19 May 2011 it´s once again time for the largest and most renowned exhibition and event in the pulp and paper industry worldwide. The last SPCI event in 2008 attracted almost 14 000 visitors from 61 countries who could enjoy an exhibition of 730 exhibitors in 300 stands.
New at SPCI 2011
SPCI 2011 will be a new and innovative pulp and paper meeting place, offering new exciting design and content. Three specific theme squares will be created in the hall featuring various activities such as conference, seminars, debates etc. The main square will be focusing on strategic issues and the future of the industry while the two smaller squares will highlight more specific issues and technology based topics.
Don´t miss this opportunity!
The allocation of stands will be commencing shortly based on received applications from participating companies. In order to secure best possible stand location, please submit your application before May 14, 2010.
- Registration fee: SEK 4500
- Raw stand space: SEK 1960/m2
- Contact us for partner packages and stands around the squares
For more info contact:
Patrik Löwstedt
Event Manager
Adforum, Stockholm office
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Thank you for participating at PulPaper 2010
The PulPaper 2010 exhibition and conference is now over. The organisers, Adforum, Paper Engineers' Association, AEL and the Finnish Fair Corporation, would like to take this opportunity to thank you for taking part in the event. The three day exhibition and conference event exceeded the expectations. Considering the last few years difficult times for the industry, the PulPaper exhibition and conference was regarded a success. During the three days, 12018 visitors from 63 countries attended the event and 625 companies from 30 countries exhibited in 210 stands. Over 400 delegates attended the Opening and Conference.
Welcome to China Paper 2010 and SPCI 2011
We would also like to take the opportunity to welcome you to Adforum’s coming events in 2010 and 2011.Visit China Paper in Shanghai, the premier event in the Asian paper industry, September 15-17 2010. Combine this with a visit to the World Expo, running in Shanghai from May to October 2010. Find more information on www.chinapaperexpo.cn. Also, do not miss the world's leading event for the pulp & paper industry, SPCI 2011, taking place in Stockholm, May 17-19 2011. More info on www.spcievent.com.
Wishing you a nice summer.
Best Regards,
Adforum AB
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Marcus Bergström
Event Manager
Adforum, Helsinki office
Ph: +358 9 150 9401
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New BASF Product Finder Now Online
* Product finder containing more than 800 product lines
* Overview of 25 industries and 19 applications
Exactly what products does BASF produce, and for which industries? Quick answers to those questions are now available for customers and any other interested parties on the BASF company website at http://www.basf.com/productfinder.
The product finder lists all the main BASF products along with matching market criteria. In addition to searching for selecting products by name, users can also look up products by client industry, basic chemical substance and availability in different countries. Users define the desired search parameters and a list of product lines is then displayed. Each product line comes with a brief description, links for further information and contact details. A search for vitamins for the food industry for instance will show 21 BASF product lines .
An added benefit of the new online application, which is updated on a continuous basis: it makes BASF products easier to find via popular search engines such as Google and Yahoo.
Neles RotaryGlobe expands Metso’s iCV offering to include high-pressure classes
Metso has expanded its iCV (intelligent control valve) offering to include high-pressure classes and small sizes. The Neles RotaryGlobe high-pressure offering now consists of valves in ASME #900 - #1500 pressure classes in sizes from 1” to 4”. 
Metso introduced its revolutionary new control valve - Neles RotaryGlobe - in 2007 and since then it has been used in a variety of applications by our customers. It has created a lot of interest within the process industry and has won the Best Innovation 2007award at the Process and Automation exhibition in Norway. With these latest additions, the coverage of all Metso valves in the intelligent high-pressure control valve offering is significantly improved and expands Metso’s ability to serve customers in a wider range of flow control applications.
The high-pressure Neles RotaryGlobe is designed for accurate control with full pressure-drop capability. The valve design also enables excellent packing tightness, which helps to minimize control-valve fugitive emissions. The wide selection of interchangeable trims includes linear, equal percentage, anti-cavitation and noise abatement trims, which makes valve selection easier for different process requirements. With the on-line diagnostics provided by the intelligent valve controller, the intelligent control valve helps to increase plant productivity and supports maintenance optimization through seamless integration to the process control system.
Metso is a global supplier of sustainable technology and services for mining, construction, power generation, automation, recycling and the pulp and paper industries. We have about 27,000 employees in more than 50 countries. www.metso.com
For more information, please contact: Jussi Koukkuluoma, Product manager, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit: www.metso.com/rotaryglobe, www.metso.com/icv
Beckhoff Drive Technology: Motors in new wash-down variant
Hygiene regulations in the food industry place high demands on drive and control components with regard to surfaces and materials, which must be able to withstand regular exposure and resistance to aggressive cleaners. By coating a standard servomotor so that it is suitable for use around food products, Beckhoff breaks new ground: the white coating, which is typical in the food industry, is compliant with FDA (Food and Drug Administration) regulations and guarantees that the products manufactured with it are not in any way tainted by chemicals.
The FDA-compliant motors differ from the standard types only by their surface and by the stainless steel shaft, otherwise they are identical. The advantage for the 
user is that additional motor types do not have to be ‘designed into’ the machine in the case of mixed use of coated and standard motors. A further advantage is the price: the coating adds only about 30 percent to the price of the standard motors, depending on the size. Not only that, the IP 67 design permits use in harsh industrial environments.
The flange sizes 2…7 from the Beckhoff AM3000 series are optionally available with the new surface coating.
Please send readers' questions regarding “Wash-down motors” to: Beckhoff Automation GmbH, Eiserstraße 5, 33415 Verl, Germany Phone: +49 (0) 5246 963-0, Fax: +49 (0) 5246 963-198 e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Internet: www.beckhoff.de
Beckhoff EtherCAT Box: High channel density for harsh environments
The new EtherCAT Box modules for the trusted IP 67 system from Beckhoff contain an impressive 16 channels – a notable increase over the previous 8 – in a double-width housing, significantly reducing cabling effort and the price per channel.The Beckhoff EtherCAT Box modules in the new 16-channel variant can be integrated directly into any EtherCAT network. The high EtherCAT performance of 100 Mbit/s is once again retained right into every IP 67 box. With an exactly double housing width of 126 x 60 x 26.5 mm (5-in x 2.4-in x 1-in), the modules offer suitable space for 16 digital inputs or outputs. The modules are fitted with M8 or M12 sockets for the signal connections. Due to the doubling of the number of channels per EtherCAT Box, the user saves time and cost, both with the EtherCAT cabling and the power cabling.
The following I/O variants are available, in each case with optional M8 or M12 screw connectors:
- EP1809: 16-channel digital input
- EP2809: 16-channel digital output
- EP2339: 16-channel digital I/O (freely configurable)
The mounting points are taken over by the compact, 30 mm (1.2-in) wide EtherCAT Box modules, so that the 16-channel box modules can be installed conveniently with the same grid spacing.
EP1809: 16-channel digital input
EP2809: 16-channel digital output
EP2339: 16-channel digital I/O (freely configurable)
Please send readers' questions regarding “16-channel EtherCAT Box” to: Beckhoff Automation GmbH, Eiserstraße 5, 33415 Verl, Germany Phone: +49 (0) 5246 963-0, Fax: +49 (0) 5246 963-198 e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Internet: www.beckhoff.de
TwinCAT PLC library for high-precision positioning tasks
XFC technology (eXtreme Fast Control) from Beckhoff offers an extremely fast, high-precision control and regulation architecture for world class machine builders. Through short I/O response times, XFC enables increased machine and system throughput since signal delay times are significantly reduced. As a new development, XFC has been extended for motion applications with a new software library for TwinCAT automation software. The XFC library facilitates the high-precision detection of axis positions and the output of digital signals for the exact position in connection with Beckhoff EtherCAT I/O Terminals.
With the function blocks in the TwinCAT PLC Motion Control XFC library, the time stamps of EtherCAT Terminals can be acquired with high precision and converted into the corresponding axis positions. The EL1252 digital input terminal records fast binary control signals with a resolution of 1 nanosecond (ns). This technology permits signals to be traced exactly over time and synchronised with EtherCAT distributed clocks across the system. This allows, for example, the storage of the current position (latches) at arbitrary places in the EtherCAT system. An appropriate touch probe block according to the PLCopen standard is available in the library. Up to now, high precision latching has only been possible directly on the drive, often with only very few inputs. This can now take place locally at any point using the XFC library and the appropriate time stamp-based EtherCAT Terminals. This saves wiring and makes virtually any number of latch inputs possible.
On the other hand, it is very simple to convert axis positions into highly precise times. This allows high precision cam controllers to be realised. The time 
stamp-based digital outputs of the EL2252 or EL2262 EtherCAT Terminals can similarly be arranged at any point in the EtherCAT fieldbus system. A TwinCAT PLC function block according to the PLCopen standard is similarly available for cam controllers.
The prerequisite for the maximum attainable accuracy is the automatic dead time compensation of axes, which is available for EtherCAT and SERCOS drives from TwinCAT 2.11 onward. An exact correlation between time and position can only be achieved with dead time compensation.
TwinCAT PLC Motion Control XFC: www.beckhoff.com/TwinCAT-PLC-MC-XFC
Please send readers' questions regarding “TwinCAT XFC” to: Beckhoff Automation GmbH, Eiserstraße 5, 33415 Verl, Germany Phone: +49 (0) 5246 963-0, Fax: +49 (0) 5246 963-198 e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Internet: www.beckhoff.de
Beckhoff Building Automation: BC9191 compact Room Controller bundles functions for single room control
With the BC9191 Room Controller, Beckhoff is extending its range of products for building automation and closing a gap in the price-sensitive area of single room control. The compact Ethernet controller covers all standard functions for the control of single rooms. Via the integrated K-bus interface, the BC9191 can be extended modularly with Beckhoff Bus Terminal I/O, offering users the greatest possible flexibility.Multi-system room automation is of great importance both for efficient operation of buildings and for the individual comfort of the users and, over and above that, to offer substantial savings potential. In the Beckhoff I/O system, an extensive range of over 400 Bus Terminals is available to building technicians for the connection of all building sensors and actuator systems.
The new BC9191 Room Controller closes the gap in very price-sensitive projects with firmly defined functions. By bundling certain functions in one module, the compact Room Controllers are ideally suited, for example, for installation in hotel rooms or office spaces. Rooms or areas with repetitive requirements only require one-time programming of the Room Controller, which is then simply duplicated, depending on the number.
The BC9191 can be used as a compact controller or as decentralized intelligence for room control. Pre-installed software functions facilitate commissioning. On top of that, the BC9191 can also be freely programmed using TwinCAT automation software from Beckhoff. For networking, the room controller is equipped with two Ethernet ports with integrated 2-channel switch. The I/O stations can thus be configured with a line topology, instead of the classic star topology.
In order to implement additional functions, the BC9191 Room Controller can be modularly extended with the entire range of Bus Terminals via the K-bus interface. Standard Bus Terminals and the sub-bus systems relevant for building automation, such as EnOcean, LON, EIB, DALI and M-bus, are optionally expandable.
Integrated I/O signals:
- digital inputs:
- 3 x 24 V DC (e.g. window contact, dew point, occupancy sensor)
- analog inputs:
- 3 x 0...10 V (e.g. CO2 sensor, air quality sensor, brightness sensor)
- 1 x PT/Ni1000 (-20…+60 °C) for air temperature measurement
- 1 x resistance measurement for set value specification
- digital outputs
- 1 x 230 V AC, 10 A, relay (e.g. water re-heater)
- 3 x 230 V AC, 1 A, relay (3-stage fan)
- 2 x 230 V AC, 1 A, triac (e.g. valves for heating and cooling)
- analog outputs:
- 2 x 0…10 V (e.g. volumetric air flow controller)
Please send readers' questions regarding “Room Controller” to: Beckhoff Automation GmbH, Eiserstraße 5, 33415 Verl, Germany Phone: +49 (0) 5246 963-0, Fax: +49 (0) 5246 963-198 e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Internet: www.beckhoff.de
Beckhoff Building Automation: PC-based automation as the basis for energy-efficient buildings
Investors and planners are faced with the challenge of coming to grips with energy costs without making cuts in the comfort of a building. The basis for this is the control and measurement of the energy consumption of individual systems. PC-based automation offers the ideal solution for the acquisition of energy and consumption data as an integral component of intelligent building automation. The energy consumption for current, water, gas or heating is recorded directly in the Beckhoff Bus Terminal system.In addition to building automation functions, Beckhoff PC-based control technology also offers the basic data acquisition technology for energy:
- local signal acquisition via the Bus Terminal I/O system
- data transmission via Ethernet or other bus systems
- evaluation in the Industrial PC via TwinCAT automation software
- provision of the energy data via standardized interfaces (e.g. OPC) to higher-level systems of the building and data management
The seamless integration of the energy and consumption data acquisition for all systems in the automation system results in savings potentials and synergies, both in the system installation and in the further operation of the building. The measured data are transferred to the control center via open interfaces and analyzed by the building management system. On the basis of comprehensive statistics and analysis functions, the building operator can recognize weak points and initiate targeted improvement measures. The available data pool also enables exact accounting and billing of consumption.
Energy consumption measurement via Bus Terminals
In addition to the standard terminals, the Beckhoff Bus Terminal system also offers numerous I/Os for measurement applications:
- acquisition of current consumption via the power measurement terminal (KL3403) and/or the digital multimeter terminal (KL3681)
- acquisition of water, gas and heat consumption via M-bus (KL6001/KL6021 serial interfaces with level converter)
- temperature measurement, e.g. via the KL3228 8-channel resistance measuring terminal
- pressure measurement or the detection of leaks in the compressed air supply (KM3702)
Using TwinCAT automation software, the measured data are processed further, and switching and regulating actions may be implemented immediately; alternatively, communication with the command level is established.
The energy data are made available via defined software interfaces, such as OPC, to the higher-level energy management software or the building management, where they are evaluated or analyzed. The measured data can additionally be assigned to certain cost centers, for example by connecting to an ERP system.
Using the “TwinCAT Scope 2” software oscilloscope, curves can be displayed graphically with a resolution on the order of microseconds.
Please send readers' questions regarding “Energy monitoring” to: Beckhoff Automation GmbH, Eiserstraße 5, 33415 Verl, Germany Phone: +49 (0) 5246 963-0, Fax: +49 (0) 5246 963-198 e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Internet: www.beckhoff.de