2006 Press Releases-08 - Yokogawa United Kingdom

Runcorn, United Kingdom - 14 July 2006

Ethernet-enabled UT551 digital indicating controller with gateway function

The new Yokogawa UT551 digital indicating controller enables users to acquire temperature, pressure and flow rate data and to make changes to controller settings via an Ethernet connection.

The new controller also incorporates a gateway function which allows it to interface with a PC or any other host system to access non-Ethernet-enabled indicating controllers or peripheral devices.

The UT551 has been developed in response to a growing demand for the capability to simultaneously monitor and control two or more plants not only from a monitoring room but also from remote locations such as an office, and it enables this to be achieved without any sacrifice in terms of cost-effectiveness.

Prior to the availability of this Ethernet-enabled controller, digital indicating controllers had to be connected via a programmable logic controller (PLC) or a conversion adaptor to send information to higher-order systems such as production control systems.

The Ethernet-enabled UT551 controller uses the Modbus/TCP protocol, and is equipped with a 10BASE-T interface. It enables parameter settings to be changed and data to be acquired through an Ethernet connection.

The controller is housed in a quarter DIN-sized package, and comes with eight powerful control functions. As standard features, the UT551 includes autotuning, a 'Super' function that suppresses the effects of changes in operating conditions and/or unexpected disturbances and overshoots arising from insufficient control parameter tuning, and a 'Super 2' function that suppresses hunting (periodic vertical oscillations).

In the event of a failure, an alarm is triggered and the large numeric display changes automatically from green to red, communicating the control status to the operator at a glance. Position-proportional control and heating/cooling control models are also available to suit various applications, as is an RS-485 version.

Gateway functionality is provided by an Ethernet-enabled version of the GateMODBUS interface component from Yokogawa's DAQWORX data-acquisition software suite. This product allows users to establish an Ethernet link between the UT551 and the DAQWORX software running on a PC or other host system. The UT551 is the first controller in the industry to support such a gateway function.

Both products are targeted at production equipment and machinery operators in practically every industry including automobiles, electronics, machine tools, chemicals, and foods as well as at operators of in-plant equipment and facilities such as air conditioners and motor-driven equipment.

About Yokogawa Electric Corporation
Yokogawa's global network of 18 manufacturing facilities, 83 companies, and over 650 sales and engineering offices spans 28 countries. Since its founding in 1915, the US$4 billion company has been engaged in cutting-edge research and innovation, securing more than 7,000 patents and registrations, including the world's first digital sensors for flow and pressure measurement. Industrial automation and control, test and measurement, information systems and industry support are the core businesses of Yokogawa. For more information about Yokogawa, please visit our web site at www.yokogawa.com

About Yokogawa Europe B.V.
The European headquarters were founded in Amersfoort, the Netherlands in 1982. Throughout Europe Yokogawa has its own sales, service and engineering operations. This dedicated network has been extended to Central and East Europe and Southern Africa to further enhance the coverage and support associated with serving the process control and automation market place. We develop and produce flowmeters at Rota Yokogawa in Germany, liquid analysers and industrial safety systems in the Netherlands. In addition to this dedicated network of Yokogawa subsidiaries a select organisation of Test & Measurement (T&M) subsidiaries and distributors is established in certain areas to support the specific customer needs of this continuously developing and specific market of T&M instrumentation. For more information about Yokogawa Europe go to www.yokogawa.com/eu

About Yokogawa UK Ltd
Yokogawa UK Ltd., part of the global Yokogawa Corporation, is a supplier of enterprise technology solutions to the process, manufacturing and utility sectors. The company is a technology and market leader in instrumentation and control, and holds many key patents and national and international approvals. Yokogawa UK's offices are in Runcorn, Cheshire and High Wycombe.

For more information contact:
Michelle Crowder
Yokogawa UK Limited
Stuart Road
Manor Park
Runcorn
CHESHIRE
WA7 1TR

Tel: +44 (0) 1928 597100
Fax: +44 (0) 1928 597101
E-mail: info@yokogawa.co.uk
www.yokogawa.com/eu