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		Inductive position-measuring sensors - 05/21/12 Machine Design, May 2012 By Robert Repas Inductive position-measuring systems (IPMSs) operate on the same principle as an inductive proximity sensor. But instead of a single sensing coil, position measuring uses a multiple-coil system.

		Encoder Resolution for the Taking - 05/20/12 Control Design, May 2012 By Harry Aghjian, CMA/Flodyne/Hydradyne The cost of optical and inductive encoders have dropped to such an extent that they've put resolvers out in the cold. For the most part, encoders today are able to do everything that a resolver can do.

		Machine tool controllers, HMIs add efficiency - 05/20/12 Control Engineering, May 2012 By Randy Pearson, Siemens Human-machine interface and controller advancements enhance machine tool productivity by combining highly advanced graphics and open architecture of the CNC to render animated graphics and intuitive operator and programming interface.

		Minimizing Machine Safety Risk with Servo Drives - 05/13/12 Automation World, May 2012 By Joel Kahn, Lenze Motor runaway conditions not only increase expenses, but can also create dangerous situations. The incorporation of a Velocity Limited Torque Mode function on a servo system can mitigate runaway motor issues by allowing both the maximum velocity and maximum torque values to be specified and varied during the process.

		Taking the right steps - 05/13/12 Design Solutions, April 2012 By Simon Hunt, Astrosyn The right choice of stepper motor depends on the application. Factors to be considered include: the number of full steps per revolution; whether to operate in full step, half step or microstep mode; and more.


		Driving forward with fieldbus - 05/12/12 Control Engineering Europe, May 2012 By Steve Malpass, ABB The trend towards the provision of enhanced fieldbus capabilities is allowing more useful data to be collected from drives to provide energy management information as well as offering a greater insight into process performance.

		Selecting Position Sensors in High Vibration Environments – the Do’s and Don’ts - 05/03/12 Automation.com, May 2012 By Mark Howard, Zettlex Article lists 10 simple rules for design engineers when selecting position and speed sensors that must cope with shock or vibration.

		Machine guarding - design and build or outsource? - 04/25/12 MachineBuilding.net, April 2012 By Jeremy Procter When is it best for machine builders to design and manufacture guarding themselves, and when is it better to outsource this to a specialist?

		How to migrate from EN 954-1 to EN ISO 13849-1 or EN 62061 - 04/25/12 MachineBuilding.net, April 2012 EN 954-1 ceased to be current at the end of 2011, so companies still using this machinery safety standard need to migrate to either EN ISO 13849-1 or EN 62061. This article provides a roadmap to aid the transition.

		Virtual Machine, Real Savings - 04/25/12 Control Design, April 2012 By Dan Hebert One way to identify discrepancies quickly is to build a virtual model of the machine prior to bending metal and assembly. Various tools exist to implement virtual designs, many of which are aimed at the machine and robot builder market

		Safety Dance: Safe to Dance? - 04/25/12 Control Design, April 2012 By Aaron Hand Why is safety still not a leading concern for machine operators?

		Machine-Mount I/O Go Everywhere - 04/25/12 Control Design, April 2012 By Jim Montague Technical advances, regulatory reforms allow I/O components to do the same jobs outside of their former enclosures.

		Green Is No Gamble - 04/25/12 Control Design, April 2012 By Jim Montague It can be a sure thing to develop sustainable machines and production lines that will improve your bottom line.

		Joint Network Concept Gets Practical - 04/25/12 Automation World, April 2012 By David Greenfield Initial results of the Machinery Initiative, launched jointly by Sercos International, ODVA, and OPC Foundation, prove the ability to use multiple Ethernet protocols to connect devices without additional cables.

		A user guide to vibration monitoring - 04/25/12 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, May 2012 From the initial question: ‘what is the vibration level and frequency range to be measured?’ engineers need to consider environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and whether there are any corrosive chemicals present.

		It’s a process, not a product - 04/22/12 Automation.com, April 2012 By John Krasnokutsky, Siemens Industry Machine builders and automation engineers should note that an energy-efficient system can actually translate into higher productivity.

		Keeping Machinery Running in Top Form - 04/21/12 IEN, April 2012 By SKF An important part of keeping equipment running smoothly involves regular monitoring and maintenance to ensure the machinery is properly aligned. Misaligned shafts and belts on rotating equipment can increase the risk of costly, unplanned downtime.

		Getting The Most Out Of Gearboxes - 04/21/12 IMPO, April 2012 By Greg Cober, Boston Gear This article reviews several steps that users can take to ensure they get the most from their gearboxes. Areas covered include proper lubrication amounts and schedules, seal care, and motor installation.

		Everything you always wanted to know about slab resolvers - 04/17/12 Automation.com, April 2012 By Zettlex This article explains what slab resolvers are; how they work; where to use them; and suggests some lower cost options.

		Motion system integration, 3 overlooked points - 04/07/12 Control Engineering, April 2012 By Paul Whitney The top three points engineers overlook in motion system integration are mechanical and electrical integration (mechatronics), scalability, and using one architecture for motion system integration.

		Driving motion control - 04/07/12 Design Solutions, April 2012 By Neil Ritchie, ABB Through the use of variable speed drives and motors, and the appropriate software and hardware for control, highly accurate positioning of products and machinery is possible.

		How to minimise risk and save lives - 04/07/12 Process & Control Engineering, March 2012 By Paul Morton, Schneider Electric A common misunderstanding when it comes to the use of individual safety control components, such as safety switches, gate/guard interlocks and light curtains, is that they alone are capable of offering a complete, safe system of control.

		Flexible safety solution - 04/03/12 InTech, April 2012 By Mike Carlson Safety light screens offer advanced features and flexible machine guarding over alternative safety methods. By altering mounting, distance, and resolution, safety light screens can perform point of operation, area guarding, perimeter guarding, and access guarding to meet diverse safety requirements.

		Innovation & Radical Thinking Simplify Gear Machining - 04/02/12 Automation.com, April 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor Sandvik Coromant, DMG / Mori Seiki USA, and Siemens PLC collaborated to replace multiple machines and cutting tools with intelligent design of a new method to accomplish gear hobbing using one machine and one cutting tool.

		Resolvers, Optical Encoders and Inductive Encoders - 03/27/12 Automation.com, March 2012 By Mark Howard, Zettlex Resolvers are good. Encoders are good. But which is the best? This article examines the strengths and weaknesses of each and offers some alternatives.

		Arc Flash: Not My Fault - 03/21/12 Control Design, March 2012 By Aaron Hand End users are responsible for keeping workers safe from electrical hazards, but more of the onus is now on machine builders

		Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz study energy savings potential with PROFIenergy - 03/15/12 Automation.com, March 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor An energy savings study at Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz plants based on the use of PROFIenergy of PROFINET showed potential savings per work cell of 5,700 euro and 33.250 kg of CO2 emissions per year.

		Nightmare Recovery - 03/10/12 Control Engineering, March 2012 By David McCarthy, TriCore How to avoid nightmare system integration projects: When an automation project is far astray, there may be a point where you must call in reinforcements to clean up rather than scrap it.

		Easy Motion System Integration: Practical Strategies, Tools - 03/10/12 Control Engineering, March 2012 By Tom Jensen, Lenze Americas Motion control automation often comprises multiple machines requiring a powerful and uniform central automation control system. Machine builders are tasked with identifying simple, maintenance-free technologies that can deliver on high-performance dynamic power requirements.

		Machine vision evaluates surface roughness - 02/25/12 Vision Systems Design, February 2012 Researchers at the School of Mechanical and Building Sciences at VIT University in India have developed a machine vision system for evaluating the surface roughness of turned components.

		How servos and steppers stack up - 02/25/12 Machine Design, February 2012 By Leland E. Teschler Two key differentiators between stepper and servo systems involve the use of a feedback device and the complexity of the amplifier electronics. Servos, by definition, are closed-loop systems utilizing a feedback device. Steppers are open-loop systems with no feedback.

		Eliminating EMI in motion systems - 02/25/12 Machine Design, February 2012 By Lee Stephens, Kollmorgen Effective grounding and shields work on solid engineering principles. No wizard hats, no witchcraft — just sound mathematical and logical processes that can resolve or reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems.

		Using intelligent motor management to improve efficiency and reduce energy cost - 02/25/12 Embedded Computing Design, February 2012 By Mark Buckley and Greg Dixson, Phoenix Contact By using intelligent motor management modules, plant managers can ensure that electric motors operate reliably and efficiently. These devices not only prevent costly downtime, but can also monitor energy usage and help lower utility bills.

		Pick Right, and Service Is Free - 02/25/12 Control Design, February 2012 By Dan Hebert Does it annoy you when automation suppliers charge for technical support? Do you think this service should be free, or at least built into the cost of the original product? Here’s how to get free service.

		New Game for Programmable Safety - 02/25/12 Control Design, February 2012 By Jim Montague New ISO 13849-1 and IEC 62061 machine safety standards are stricter, pushing more builders to include programmable safety in their machine design.

		Safety Network Systems Explained - 02/25/12 Automation World, February 2012 By Renee Robbins Bassett Now sanctioned by global industry standards, safety networks are increasingly desirable in the U.S. Here’s how both process industry users and manufacturing machine users benefit.

		Network Determinism: Not Just for Motion Anymore - 02/25/12 Automation World, February 2012 By Terry Costlow Engineers know that Ethernet is a stable and well-known industrial network, but building determinism into the network to enable control has been an issue that is now solvable.

		Rockwell Automation's Lower Cost, Higher Power 5370 CompactLogix Controllers - 02/24/12 Automation.com, February 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor At Automation Fair 2011, Rockwell Automation released the new 5730 line of CompactLogix controllers. These controllers allow users and machine builders to get the power of the Logix architecture for smaller applications. Here's an overview of the new line.

		New standards for Machinery Directive - 02/17/12 Factory Equipment, January 2012 By John Hill, Parker Hannifin Pneumatics Division Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC (formerly 98/37/EC) will impact all those involved in the design, manufacture and operation of machinery with moving parts with responsibility for compliance being with the builders of systems.

		Machine Safety: The myths of safety cultures - 02/17/12 Control Engineering, February 2012 By J.B. Titus Every organization at some point in time has held a myth about machine safety. Here are six machine safety myths. What’s yours?

		EN ISO 13849-1, the quantitative approach to machine safety - 02/17/12 Control Engineering, February 2012 By J.B. Titus The EN ISO 13849-1 machine safety standard has now been fully in force since Jan. 1, 2012, without exception and EN 954 has fully been withdrawn. How’s it working?

		Nanosensors for machines - 02/17/12 Control Engineering, February 2012 By Mark Hoske Lower-cost nano sensing technologies are making their way into pressure, position, and motion sensors, transmitters, and power supplies.

		Digital Factory Superstructure Emerging with OPC UA - 02/17/12 Automation.com, February 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor OPC UA is emerging as a fundamental technology for implementing Digital Factory concepts to increase production efficiency. The concept was reinforced at the ARC Forum in a session titled, Transforming Manufacturing with OPC UA: From Embedded to the Enterprise.

		Wireless communication in track-guided transport systems - 02/15/12 What’s New in Process Technology, February 2012 By Phoenix Contact All systems that employ a radiating cable-based communication system profit from the advantages of the guided wireless field along the cable. In track-guided systems this also results in lower maintenance overhead due to the elimination of contact lines and mechanical contacts.

		Rockwell Automation Product Philosophy - 02/13/12 Automation.com, February 2012 By Bill Lydon Rockwell Automation firmly believes there are users that only want simple controllers and users that want integrated control and information products. In order to meet these requirements Rockwell has two separate product and software architectures, Connected Components and Logix.

		Tandem Encoders - 02/04/12 Automation.com, February 2012 By Mark Howard, Zettlex The term ‘tandem encoder’ refers to an encoder with at least two measurement axes but only one power input and one data output. A Tandem approach effectively spreads the cost of a single set of electronics across two (or more) encoders.

		Ethernet Inside the Intelligent Device - 02/04/12 Automation.com, February 2012 By Jessica Forguites, Rockwell Automation Embedding Ethernet switch technology into devices brings new advantages to high-performance applications. It simplifies machine design, configuration and maintenance.

		Is Stuxnet Dead? - 02/04/12 Flow Control, January 2012 By Amy W. Richardson 40 percent of critical infrastructures that did a security audit found Stuxnet in their systems. Experts say Stuxnet is no longer itself a threat as much as the legacy it has left behind — a roadmap for cyber war.

		An inside look at planetary gears - 01/29/12 Machine Design, January 2012 By Howard Horn, Thomson Industries Planetary gearheads can improve machine performance and efficiency, and lower costs. But proper sizing is critical.

		Remote maintenance through networked security appliances - 01/29/12 Industrial Ethernet Book, February 2012 By Ingo Hilgenkamp, Phoenix Contact To save time and money, operating companies therefore frequently link their applications to the service network of the manufacturer via the web. But you may need a security appliance to protect yourself.

		Open Architecture "Use Cases" - the Next Frontier - 01/23/12 Automation.com, January 2012 By Bill Lydon, Editor The next major frontier in the evolution of open architecture is the development of application standards built around Use Cases to increase automation productivity and efficiency. Packaging machine standards from OMAC's Packaging Workgroup is a good example.

		Industrial Sensor, Diagnose Thyself - 01/15/12 Control Design, January 2012 By Hank Hogan For machines that use presence-detecting proximity sensors, IO-Link networking technology offers self-diagnostics, increased flexibility and greater ease of configuration.

		Design for TCO - 01/15/12 Control Design, January 2012 By Dan Hebert Features that reduce a machine user's Total Cost of Operation are welcome, but how can machine builders justify the extra hit to the purchase price for some of these longer-term cost reductions? How do they sell the potential savings to their customers?

		System Solutions for Industrial Sensors/Field Transmitters - 12/29/11 Sensors, December 2011 By Deepa Kalyanaraman, Texas Instruments Some of the latest trends and system considerations involved when designing sensors and transmitters for industrial automation applications.

		The Emergence Of A New Standard For Factory Automation - 12/28/11 Industrial Automation Asia, December 2011 By Gabriel Tan This article looks at the use of machine control hardware for automation and how the emergence of a Machine Automation Controller (MAC) meets the market needs more effectively than previous controller solutions.

		Ethernet's Momentum in Automation Is Unstoppable - 12/28/11 Design News, December 2011 By Charles Murray Ethernet's move to the industrial automation space is gaining momentum, as engineers make the conversion from the fieldbuses of the 1990s to networks that unify the front office and factory floor.

		Simplify Signal Processing - 12/28/11 Control Design, December 2011 By Dan Hebert Adding analog inputs or signal processing functionality to a machine or robot control system often can increase costs and complexity substantially. Signal conditionners can help.

		Industrial Software: Programming With Old and New - 12/28/11 Control Design, December 2011 By Jim Montague Programs today consist of object-based software. Is this the end of legacy programming languages?

		Data in Moderation - 12/28/11 Control Design, December 2011 By Jeremy Pollard Over the past 10 years or so, data has been retrieved from control devices, using Ethernet or bus systems, and now we have more data than we know what to do with. Data is like good wine. Have just enough and you'll be a happy camper. Have too much and you'll get a hangover.

		Cooperate Sooner and Better With Mechatronics - 12/28/11 Control Design, December 2011 By Jim Montague Mechatronics is getting simpler, easier, affordable and practical for everyone. However, it still requires users to cooperate with other engineering disciplines and consider how their specialties affect overall systems.

		Making a sensible sensor selection - 12/27/11 Automation, November 2011 By Phil Dyas, SICK (UK) The wide range of industrial sensors increases every week to meet the growing number of application needs. This growing capability makes it ever more important to select the right sensor for the individual project requirements.

		Distributed motion control: the importance of catching the bus - 12/18/11 Industrial Ethernet Book, November 2011 By Robert Pearce, Kollmorgen There are many choices to make concerning network buses, protocols and other technical aspects. Ultimately, the motion machine's physical configuration and architecture will determine the motion network to be chosen.

		Understanding the automation knowledge crises - 12/18/11 Process & Control Engineering, December 2011 By Chris Lydent, PAS The size, complexity, and interoperability of modern automation systems has increased much more quickly than human ability to document and understand them.

		Benefits of entire drive train optimization - 12/18/11 Control Engineering Europe, December 2011 According to analysis conducted by the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association, ZVEI, the energy saving potential by using high-efficiency motors is 10%, by using frequency converters it is 30% and by optimising the drive system it is 60%.

		OMAC Packaging Working Group Update - 12/12/11 Automation.com, December 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor An enthusiastic OMAC Packaging Working Group recently presented plans for packaging machine standards. Bryan Griffen from Nestle explained their packaging philosophy and current vision centered on OMAC standards and how they want to optimize control systems in three ways.

		A New HMI Software Product. Why? - 11/28/11 Automation.com, November 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor I was recently introduced to a new HMI software offering, Tatsoft FactoryStudio. My first reaction was - Why does the industry need another HMI software product? I interviewed Tatsoft CEO and founder, Marcos Taccolini to learn more.

		Micro800 Standalone Machine Controller - 11/21/11 Automation.com, November 2011 By Bill Lydon for Automation.com Rockwell Automation introduced the new low-cost Micro800 PLC product line suited for standalone machine applications - a completely new architecture and not based on or compatible with the Logix Platform and Integrated Architecture.

		In Redundancy We Trust - 11/18/11 Control Design. November 2011 By Jeremy Pollard Be very careful with any cloud implementation, private or public. Make sure you know what you are getting and get proof of the redundancy.

		Remote Access Makes New Connections - 11/18/11 Control Design. November 2011 By Dan Hebert With new 4G technology and cellphone apps, cellular connections now rival the speed of hardwired connections. This new equivalence is encouraging industrial machine and robot builder OEMs to use cellphones for remote access, both via browser and apps.

		Control the Air - 11/18/11 Control Design. November 2011 By Dan Hebert If your machine uses pneumatics—or has the potential to do so—you can simplify installation, detect leaks and lower operating and maintenance costs with some recent advancements.

		Think Small. Get Big Results - 11/18/11 Control Design. November 2011 By Neil Elko and Paul Landers, ESS Technologies Designing small means looking at market trends, determining where to set the performance goals on size and rate, and designing around the majority of what the target industry runs.

		Must Industry Choose Between Security or Efficiency? - 11/14/11 Automation.com, November 2011 By Eric Byres, Byres Security Inc. On one hand, industry is becoming increasingly concerned about just how vulnerable control systems have become to outside attacks. At the same time, new tools and applications that improve efficiency, but increase that exposure, are appearing daily. So must we sacrifice these gains in efficiency if we want to be secure?

		Blurring the control boundaries - 11/05/11 Control Engineering Europe, November 2011 To both efficiently and cost-effectively handle the increasing complexity of automation, more users now expect a complete and consistent automation system, together with advanced engineering tools and support from their automation suppliers.

		Has Open Architecture Delivered? - 10/28/11 Automation.com, October 2011 By Bill Lydon Since the 1980s, the automation industry has been adopting standards for networked industrial communications, software, and applications. Have users gained all the benefits originally envisioned?

		Taking a long term view of machinery safety - 10/23/11 Automation.com, October 2011 By David Collier, Pilz Why machine builders should resist the temptation to save money in the short term by using Category 2 architecture on machine guard safety circuits that require Performance Level d.

		The Danger With Time Bombs - 10/21/11 Control, October 2011 By Pierre Grosdidier Time bombs prevent the execution of programs past a certain date and time. Vendors use them to enforce license agreements. Can your software vendor lock up your software so that you have to buy an upgrade? Maybe not.

		Markup Languages Enhance Integration - 10/21/11 Automation World, October 2011 By James Koelsch Incorporating markup languages into software application code can overcome disruptive inter-platform communications barriers, bringing together groups of engineers and disparate technologies.

		Manufacturers Invest in Cloud Computing - 10/21/11 Automation World, October 2011 By David Greenfield Spending on cloud computing is set to grow significantly over the next two years in efforts to increase capabilities and decrease budget allocations for IT hardware and software.

		Are Hydraulics the Way to Improve Machine Efficiency? - 10/18/11 Design News, Ocotber 2011 By Bill Savela, Delta Computer Systems Fluid power, specifically hydraulics, can be a more efficient power source than electric motors.

		What Really Happens When You Update Software and Machinery - 10/18/11 Control Design, October 2011 By TJ McDermott, Systems Interface Replacing a worn wrench is easy and not very expensive. What happens, though, when the portable computer that supports the new machinery's PLC, HMI and safety systems gives up the ghost?

		Panel Meters Take Control - 10/18/11 Control Design, October 2011 By Jim Montague Panel meters now can do control in the process, and so many users don't need all the PLCs and SCADA software they had to use in the past.

		No Servos Allowed - 10/18/11 Control Design, October 2011 By Dan Hebert We shouldn't forget that mechanical speed controls sometimes can be a better solution than electronics.

		Evolving automation systems drive advances in manufacturing - 10/17/11 What’s New in Process Technology, October 2011 By Paul McRoberts, Rockwell Automation Australia Manufacturing systems are becoming more complex and interconnected but the classical programming and data management techniques are increasingly incapable of managing greater levels of integration. A paradigm shift is occurring in how critical and complex automation systems are designed, configured, and controlled.

		Chrysler/FIAT Adopts PROFINET for CArS - 10/10/11 Automation.com, October 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor The CArS architecture is a modern systems level approach defined by the joint Chrysler and Fiat Manufacturing Engineering Council that improves the process flow for designing and implementing production lines.

		Carving 'Challenging' Niche out of Automation market - 09/30/11 Automation.com, October 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor National Instruments typical applications in the automation industry require very high speeds, high precision, and special functions. According to Christian Fritz, in these challenging applications, they are not competing against PLCs - PLCs just cannot do the job.

		Transforming Industrial Robots Into Precision Machine Tools - 09/24/11 Manufacturing.net, September 2011 The EU co-funded COMET consortium is creating a revolutionary solution enabling the use of industrial robots for high-end machining. The COMET plug-and-produce controller is a modular system that fits most robot brands, including ABB, Fanuc and KUKA.

		Turn Off That Alarm! - 09/24/11 Control Design, September 2011 By Jack Chopper For any automated equipment, alarms are rarely a good thing. For a system designer, an alarm is simply the easy way out.

		Roadmap for Best Practices in Manufacturing - 09/24/11 Control, September 2011 By Dan Hornbeck, Rockwell Automation The combination of global safety standards, advanced safety technologies and innovative design approaches are turning safety into a core function that delivers significant business and economic value.

		The case for regenerative AC drives - 09/20/11 Automation.com, September 2011 By William Gilbert, Siemens Today’s AC drive systems now have the technology to regenerate energy back to the AC line--a practical alternative to mechanical braking and non-regen drives in converting, packaging, wireforming and printing industries

		4 predictive tools to improve gearbox performance - 09/20/11 PlantServices, September 2011 By Mike Konruff, Baldor Fortunately, most gearboxes are easy to maintain. While there are many preventive maintenance tools available, here are four areas to keep your applications running: lubrication, temperature, noise and vibration.

		Siemens Contributes to Toy Story Attraction's Magic - 09/19/11 Automation.com, September 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor Toy Story Midway Mania! is one of the most technologically sophisticated attractions yet developed by Walt Disney Imagineering. It marks the company's first use of industrial Ethernet for a ride's control system which takes advantage of Siemens products.

		The Future of Real-time Control - 09/12/11 Automation.com, September 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor Bill Lydon talks with Jeff Kodosky, Cofounder of National Instruments and Father of LabVIEW, to discuss real-time control and particularly his continuing work on the problem of visually programming real-time- control applications.

		Innovative development can be made simple - 09/11/11 Process & Control Engineering, September 2011 By Philipp Wallner Terms such as model-based design, simulation, rapid prototyping and hardware-in-the-loop are already well-known in the automobile and aerospace industries. It seems that there is potential here just waiting to be tapped by machine manufacturers.

		Continuous EtherCAT at all levels - 09/08/11 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, September 2011 By Conrad Muller, Beckhoff Automation Extremely detailed explanation of how EtherCAT works. Everything you ever wanted to know about EtherCAT and were afraid to ask.

		Features and benefits of EtherCAT - 09/08/11 Control Engineering Europe, August 2011 By Martin Rostan, EtherCAT Technology Group EtherCAT technology is not only fully Ethernet-compatible, but also characterised by particular openness ‘by design.’ The protocol can transport other Ethernet-based services and protocols on the same physical network.

		Is the Cloud Safe Enough? - 08/18/11 Control Design, August 2011 By Jeremy Pollard The Cloud is not a safe place. but is it really any different than any other client/server type arrangement?

		Adaptive Control Offers Flexibility - 08/18/11 Control Design, August 2011 By Karl Mathia Real-time adaptive control can achieve near-optimal performance for various equipment configurations and changing loads.

		Really, Really, Really Cyber Secure - 08/18/11 Control, August 2011 By Walt Boyes It is now clear that machine-level, embedded controllers, such as PLCs, PACs and DCS controllers are vulnerable from both inside and outside the plant.

		Protecting ICSs from Electronic Threats, II - 08/18/11 Control, August 2011 By Joe WEISS, Applied Control ICS security is a lifecycle process that begins with conceptual design of a system and continues through to its retirement.

		FDT--Your APP for Smart Device Information Integration - 08/18/11 Control, August 2011 By Garry Cusick, MACTek DTM (device type manager) is an application developed by the device manufacturer to ensure you get the best value from their products.

		CNC Faceoff: PC Platforms with Virtualization - 08/18/11 Plant Engineering, July 2011 By Kim Hartman Computer numerical control (CNC) systems based on multi-core processor systems can run applications on real-time operating systems (RTOS) in multiple cores, while maintaining coordination and communication among segments of the application.

		Reduce energy consumption with plastic cable carriers - 08/17/11 Automation.com, August 2011 By Joe Ciringione Cable carrier systems not only transport energy, data and media to various types of machines, but also greatly influence energy costs. To keep energy costs low, one important consideration is the amount of pull-push, or driving force, that is required at a given speed to move the cable carrier.

		Driving Machine Performance Through Motion Control - 08/13/11 Industrial Automation Asia, August 2011 By Prasad Padman, Moog From top global automotive manufacturing facilities to small, specialised job shops, motion control solutions are needed to increase productivity, minimise operating costs and improve finished product quality while ensuring operational safety.

		Highlighting better safety practice - 08/07/11 Control Engineering Europe, August 2011 By Ian Curtis, Siemens Recent changes to the IEC 61508 standard for functional safety significantly improves guidance on functional safety management and competence.

		Redundancy in EtherNet/IP systems - 08/07/11 InTech, August 2011 By Alain Grenier Article explores the balance between the cost of ensuring systems redundancy in an EtherNet/IP network and the cost of failure within a system and inevitably lost production.

		Stepper Motor 101 - 07/22/11 Control Design, July 2011 By Katherine Bonfante Stepper motors are constant power devices. They are brushless, electric motors capable of dividing complete rotations into a sizeable number of steps

		The Connection Is Purely Physical - 07/22/11 Control Design, July 2011 By Dan Hebert t's impossible to automate a machine without terminal blocks and connectors, so that makes them rather critical components. Although terminal blocks and connectors have been around for a long time, innovations continue.

		Industrial PC: The Power of the PC Processor - 07/22/11 Control Design, July 2011 By John Martin A multicore PC can run user interface applications and machine control on one piece of hardware that can sit inside harsh environments.

		Robotics: Innovations in Grippers - 07/22/11 Assembly, July 2011 By John Sprovieri New developments range from multifingered grippers that resemble a human hand to a flexible, extendable device that flicks in and out like a chameleon’s tongue.

		Harmonising productivity with machine safety - 07/22/11 Control Engineering Europe, June 2010 By Alex Bryce, Pilz Safety gates, protective covers and machine guards prevent hazards associated with moving parts. However, the correct functioning of a safeguard can only be guaranteed by using the appropriate sensor technology.

		Robotic suction cup analysis - 07/22/11 Control Engineering, July 2011 By Marcel Horák, František Novotný Deformation analysis optimized use of suction cups under combined load for robotic product handling with vacuum gripping heads.

		Linear actuators achieve precision motion control with little to no backlash - 06/28/11 Machine Design, June 2011 By Tony Kliber, Nexen Group Roller-pinion systems are a better option than rack and pinions where accuracy and a minimum of friction are important.

		RFID for More Foolproof Access - 06/27/11 Control Design, June 2011 By Aaron Hand RFID technology makes users more accountable with their own access keys or tags, significantly reducing the likelihood that machine access control will be passed around.

		Operator Interface Customization - 06/27/11 Control Design, June 2011 By Dan Hebert Machine operator interface terminals (OITs) typically are customized to improve ease-of-use, create branding for the machine OEM, and decrease downtime. This customization is performed by the OIT supplier, the OEM and/or the OEM customer.

		How to Select a Motion Control Network - 06/12/11 Control Engineering, June 2011 By Derek Lee, Yaskawa America Maximize reliability, speed, and ease of operation and maintenance by by selecting an appropriate motion control network.

		Choosing between machine vision or sensors - 06/12/11 Control Engineering, June 2011 By Mark Sippel To determine whether discrete or vision sensors will be the most robust and cost-effective way to error proof a parts production, look at the level of complexity in the sensing required.

		Back to Basics: Selecting sensors, machine vision - 06/12/11 Control Engineering, June 2011 By Kevin Ackerman Ask these questions as a starting point when considering a detection, inspection, or measurement solution using sensors, a smart camera, or a more sophisticated machine vision system.

		Implementing safeguards creates cost-effective machine safety solutions - 06/12/11 InTech, June 2011 By Mike Carlson Safeguarding solutions proven to be effective in providing superior machine safety include safety light curtains, interlock guards with safety interlock switches, and safety controls and modules.

		EtherNet/IP Provides a Single Network for Complete Machine Control - 06/07/11 Automation.com, June 2011 By Bob Hirschinger Because advancements to EtherNet/IP, machine builders are enjoying a new level of machine design flexibility through the use of a single network for their entire machine, including VFD and servo drives for integrated motion control.

		Robots Moving Again - 06/06/11 Automation.com, June 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor Judging from Automate 2011 and the IFR Executive Round Table, the robotics industry is on the move again. In 2010, the number of units sold worldwide almost doubled those in 2009. Here's an update on the robotics industry and overview of some interesting robot offerings.

		Real-Time Visibility, Operational Agility and Flexibility driving growth of Industrial Networks - 06/03/11 Automation.com, June 2011 By J. Timothy Shea, VDC Research Group VDC Research partnered with Automation.com to conduct an extensive initiative into the market for wireline and wireless industrial networking infrastructure product markets. Recent research found that the demand outlook for wireline and wireless industrial networking infrastructure products will be quite healthy through 2015.

		Every Project Needs a Contingency Plan - 05/27/11 Control Design, May 2011 By Jeremy Pollard Contingent thinking: if we don't train ourselves in proper planning, contingency included, then we’ve learned little from the 100-year floods past.

		Integrating Safety and Control - 05/27/11 Control Design, May 2011 By Dan Hebert ntil recently, machine and robot builder OEMs needed two automation systems. One of them controlled the machine or robot, while the second dealt specifically with machine safety. All that changed in the past few years, and integrated safety is fast becoming a viable solution in many OEM applications.

		Let the Machines Talk - 05/27/11 Control Design, May 2011 By Aaron Hand M2M generally stands for machine-to-machine, but it more often than not has resembled something more akin to machine-to-man, in which a machine on one end alerts an operator somewhere else that it is in need of attention.

		A Device by Any Other Name… - 05/27/11 Control Design, May 2011 By N. Lewis Bodden When it comes to naming points in a control system, it pays to take the time to develop a nomenclature plan.

		Combining Power and Automation Products to Serve Customers - 05/27/11 Automation.com, May 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor ABB creates new role, appoints Brice Koch, to oversee relations with ABB’s largest customers and the development of opportunities in strategic growth areas such as rail, wind, water, solar, energy efficiency and smart grids. Koch will also be responsible for developing ABB’s service business.

		Easier M2E (Machine to Enterprise) Integration - 05/26/11 Automation.com, May 2011 By Roy Kok Over the years, we’ve had sensor upgrades, improved controllers, better operator visibility, data archiving and analytics, and now we have enterprise integration for improved material management, corporate agility, regulatory compliance and a host of other features.

		Microsoft Partner addresses automation needs of ETO manufacturers - 05/23/11 Automation.com, May 2011 By Thomas R. Cutler Within the manufacturing sector, particularly those involved in Engineer-to-Order (ETO) manufacturing, there are special issues and challenges that typical ERP implementations don't address.

		Robots & Vision: Who Runs This Workcell, Anyway? - 05/18/11 Machine Vision On Line, May 2011 By Winn Hardin In the past, the virtual world of the robotic simulation software ruled the workcell, using real-world data from the vision system to adjust robotic movement. In the new world order, the vision system using real-world data may control the robot.

		Why China Is Vulnerable: Part 2 - 05/18/11 Manufacturing.net, May 2011 By Perry Sainati, Belden Universal, China’s future as the biggest dog on the manufacturing block is not nearly as clear as many would have you believe, and its manufacturing sector continues to grow vulnerable.

		IEC 61131-3 by the Numbers - 05/18/11 Control, May 2011 By Jeremy Pollard The intent of IEC 61131-3 is to normalize PLC and control systems' programming by standardizing functionality such as program entry, instruction visualization, data types and syntax. The general requirements section includes models for software, communication—external as well as internal instruction and variable parameter passing—and programming.

		Assembly Automation: Manufacturing in the Cloud - 05/14/11 Assembly, April 2011 By Rush LaSelle For some time now, machinery for assembling, decorating, labeling and packaging has had the ability to change on the fly. The pacing variable has always been process control and ultimately, the information from the consumer. Now, thanks to digital connections between people and the commercial world, this valuable information is available to manufacturers through the cloud.

		From the Field - ABB Automation and Power World 2011 - 05/11/11 Automation.com, May 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor Here are a few highlights from ABB Automation & Power World 2011. The event attracted a record number of participants, totaling more than 4,200, and featured over 400 educational workshops and hands-on training sessions, over 45 customer-presented case studies, and an exhibition of ABB and partner products.

		Multivendor Ethernet Safety Protocol - Noble Goal - 04/29/11 Automation.com, April 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor The openSAFETY standard supporters are posing an interesting idea to the industry - use a single Ethernet-based safety protocol, openSAFETY, on all automation applications regardless of industrial Ethernet protocol used for controls.

		Identifying Automation System Tribbles - 04/25/11 Automation.com, April 2011 By Roy Kok How did Scotty know? How do you know when your systems are normal? Are the Dilithium crystals at their proper temperature and vibrational frequency for this Warp Speed and area of space? Could he be sure he caught every last Tribble, and none are blocking the cooling ducts to the Anti- Matter Drive?

		Sustainable Machine: More Than an Add-On - 04/24/11 Control Design, April 2011 By Jim Montague Green isn't an afterthought. New and old machines demand solutions in which energy and raw material conservation are as important as throughput and safety.

		Customize Embedded Control - 04/24/11 Control Design, April 2011 By Dan Hebert As the degree of customization increases, embedded control advantages become more pronounced, but so do upfront costs and risk.

		Device Connection Technology: An IOpener - 04/24/11 Control Design, April 2011 By Joe Feeley We might want to pay a little attention to a device connection technology that's largely unknown to North American machine builders. IO-Link is a sensor/actuator connection system supported by a consortium of about 50 well-known automation suppliers.

		Measuring position or speed in harsh environments - 04/24/11 Control Engineering Europe, March 2011 By Mark Howard, Zettlex The failure of position or speed sensors in the field can have a massive technical or commercial impact. So how do you make sure your sensors will not fail when the going gets tough?

		S-Curve Profiles Deep Dive - 04/19/11 Automation.com, April 2011 By Chuck Lewin, Performance Motion Devices S-curves are an important tool for minimizing the effective transfer time of a machine load, particularly when the motor is connected to the load via a mechanism. In the real world, this represents the vast majority of actual motion control applications.

		Increasing Motor Efficiency with Power Factor Control - 04/18/11 By Mark Steinmetz, Vincotech Using an electronic drive to regulate the output speed of a motor for the mechanical load required—with the addition of Power Factor Control—improves efficiency of the drive by correcting the out of phase voltage and current being used.

		CNC improvements deliver powerful change to the shop floor - 04/18/11 Plant Engineering, April 2011 By Elizabeth Kautzmann, FANUC FA America The CNC is the singular most powerful influence in how any shop will fully capitalize on its laser investment, and you need to get the most out of it

		Motor drive upgrades boost industrial plant performance - 04/18/11 Plant Engineering, April 2011 By Tom Robbins, Lenze Today’s motor drive technologies offer virtually limitless design possibilities. Motion control offers a means to an end for OEM plant managers, integrators, and design engineers engaged in demanding automation and production lines.

		Understanding variable frequency drives - 04/18/11 Plant Engineering, April 2011 By Stephen Prachyl, Siemens If you’re involved with trying to save energy in your plant, at some point you have probably looked into variable frequency drives (VFDs) for ac motors. Reports from all directions say they can help save energy, reduce maintenance, and cut utility costs. The questions are: are they as good as they sound, and how do they work?

		Hannover Messe 2011 – More than 230,000 Visitors Automation.com, April 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor Hannover Messe 2011 was larger than any other in the last 10 years, with more than 230,000 visitors. More than 6,500 businesses from 65 countries came to Hannover to display their solutions. The attendance numbers represent a growth of 10 to 15 percent over the comparable 2009 event.

		Measuring Motors - 04/17/11 Control Engineering Asia, March 2011 By Fluke A thermal imager and an insulation multimeter are two effective tools for spot checking of motor operation and diagnosis of problems.

		Coordinated Variable-Speed System Drives - 04/17/11 Control Engineering, April 2011 By Paul Blaiklock, TMEIC GE In web-handling applications, large numbers of variable-speed drives are used. For these applications, ac motors are preferred to dc motors. The electric drive system consists of variable frequency ac drives and variable-speed ac induction motors.

		Think Again: Improve processes, then automate - 04/17/11 Control Engineering, April 2011 By Mark T. Hoske Advice: Don’t upgrade automation on old processes. Get lean, fix the processes, then apply leading-edge controls and automation to optimize results.

		International machine safety standards - 04/17/11 Control Engineering, April 2011 By Mike Miller and Wayne Solberg, Rockwell Automation The international safety standards mandated by the European Commission’s Machinery Directive are reshaping how global machine builders approach machine safety system design.

		Analog Sensors Simplify Machine Control Design - 04/09/11 Design News, March 2011 By Matt Simms, Eaton Analog inductive sensors can be advantageous in the design of machine control systems. These sensors are especially useful for applications requiring precision position sensing and measurement, as well as for use in component error-proofing.

		Motion Control to the Extreme - 04/09/11 Design News, March 2011 By Al Presher When it comes to designing motion systems for operation in harsh environments, it's not just the performance of the motors you have to worry about. The materials and connections that form the motion system's structure are equally important.

		Vision systems increase productivity - 04/09/11 InTech, April 2011 By Steve Maves Advances in machine vision (MV) technology are creating new opportunities to increase productivity, quality, and efficiency in a wide range of applications.

		Top 10 Questions to Consider Before Buying an Industrial Robot - 04/01/11 Automation.com, April 2011 By Jeff Kamin, QComp Robots are the buzz for anyone in manufacturing, assembling, packaging or distributing products. Many end users rely on an integrator or OEM to provide a robot solution without really understanding the potential benefits and liabilities. This article poses some of the questions that a robotic user should consider prior to selecting a robot and a robot programmer/installer.

		Skid Integration Problems Solved by PLCopen Standards - 03/29/11 Automation.com, March 2011 By PLCopen North America The use of skid mounted equipment has become popular for a number of reasons but they pose some unique automation and control challenges that can be solved by using IEC 61131-3 and PLCopen standards.

		Motor Designs Get Moving - 03/26/11 Control Design, March 2011 By Jim Montague New assembly methods, better materials, magnets and interaction with related hardware rev up new efficiencies.

		Control Venders Put More in the Box - 03/26/11 Automation World, February 2011 By Wes Iverson The benefits of integrating motion control with logic control have been well documented over the years. Here’s a look at how the technology is being deployed today.

		Automated Assembly: A Practical Guide to Low-Cost Automation - 03/26/11 Assembly, February 2011 By Jeff Curhan The low-cost automation strategy relies on in-house resources that grow concurrently with the project and are ultimately integrated into the company infrastructure upon completion of the project.

		Selecting the optimum motion control solution for the application - 03/26/11 What’s New in Process Technology, March 2011 By Joseph Biondo, Festo A machine with optimum motion control will help the end user improve the bottom line through labour reduction, higher throughput and faster return on investment. Motion control that is easy to use and set up, straightforward to troubleshoot, and backed by a quality support team adds to the advantages of the physical solution.

		Measuring Position or Speed in Harsh Environments - 03/24/11 Process & Control Engineering, March 2011 By Mark Howard Other than cables and connectors, position and speed sensors are the most common elements in electrical control systems. That means selecting the right position sensor – one that will operate accurately and reliably – in your own particular harsh environment – is key.

		Intelligent safety monitoring keeps workers and machines always in view - 03/24/11 Process & Control Engineering, March 2011 By Kevin Gomez Fraunhofer researchers are introducing a new prototype for intelligent safety monitoring in industrial workplaces. The system tells the user how many cameras are required to be able to monitor all safety-relevant areas of the production hall.

		Getting ready to let go of EN954-1 - 03/24/11 Control Engineering Europe, March 2011 By Paul Laidler, Laidler Associates EN ISO 13849-1 machine safety standard adopts a totally different approach from EN 954-1. This means that achieving compliance with the new standard isn’t merely a matter of tweaking the existing documentation, instead it means starting over from scratch, and it’s by no means a simple task.

		Rotary Encoder Selection - 03/24/11 Control Engineering, March 2011 By Tom Wyatt, Heidenhain Consider accuracy, position or velocity control, speed stability, power loss, and bandwidth, and other attributes when selecting a rotary encoder or encoder technology.

		Hyper-Secured PLC…and other curious combinations - 03/24/11 Control Engineering, March 2011 To make life easier for automation engineers, and less costly for OEMs and end-user companies to build control systems, clever companies are converging previously separate products.

		How torsonial vibration can cause compressor failure - 03/21/11 By Patrick J. Smith Energy Tech Magazine, March 2011 Torsional vibration problems in rotating machinery can be difficult to recognize. Unlike radial vibration, torsional vibration involves the twisting of shafts while the machine is rotating. Torsional problems might go unnoticed until something fails.

		Material Handling Automation - 03/01/11 Automation.com, March 2011 The largest material handling event of the year will take place later this month in Chicago, ProMat 2011. New automation solutions will be on display. Perhaps the automation solutions for material handling in the food sector carries the most unique requirements for palletizing robots, stretch wrapping equipment, labeling systems, pallet control systems and laser-guided automatic vehicles.

		OPC UA is Frictionless Bridge to New Automation Architecture - 02/21/11 Automation.com, February 2011 OPC UA elevates automation systems to the level of current computing technology by leveraging web services and Internet Protocol (IP), enabling automation systems to deliver increased value.

		Cloud Control - 02/14/11 Control Design, February 2011 By Jeremy Pollard The shared resources of cloud computing could--and should--change the way automation specialists use the tools they call on daily, avoiding the need to license each vendor’s software solution separately.

		Selecting and Applying Clutches and Brakes - 02/11/11 Machine Design, February 2011 By John Pieri, Thomson Industries Clutches and brakes come in a variety of sizes, generally ranging in torque and speed from 3 to 5,000 lb-in. and from 150 to over 20,000 rpm. Their specifications are spread over four modes of operation: start, index, slip, and hold.

		Comparing Cycloidal and Planetary Gearboxes - 02/11/11 Machine Design, February 2011 By John D’Amico, Onvio Gearboxes let engineers adjust servomotors’ operating speed and resulting torque. But understanding the two major types will lead to lower costs and better performance.

		Motion-Control Valves Solve Equipment-Instability Problems - 02/11/11 Machine Design, February 2011 By Christopher Lodemeier and Maurice Ashmore, Eaton Hydraulics Cartridge valves offer the same control options as traditional hydraulic valves but are generally smaller, lighter, and more tolerant of vibration and fluid contamination.

		Designing Positioning Systems for Constant Velocity - 02/11/11 Machine Design, February 2011 By Leland E. Teschler A few mathematical tools can help guide the way toward defeating wobble, jitter, cogging, and similar effects that can prevent positioning systems from working smoothly.

		Cable Carrier Specification - 02/11/11 Design News, January 2011 By Joseph Ciringione, igus When designing machines, cable carriers are critical to protecting the cables and hoses used in the moving parts of the system. Here are the key specification points for making the right cable carrier decisions.

		Solar Tracking Makes Use of Industrial Control - 02/11/11 Design News, January 2011 By Al Presher Precise sun tracking requires a combination of complex algorithms, robust networking, instrumentation and analytics.

		Real-time Video Adds Fourth Dimension to HMI Software - 02/11/11 Automation World, January 2011 By Craig Resnick, ARC Because it's well accepted that "seeing is believing," integrating real-time live video into human-machine interface (HMI) tools provides an excellent opportunity to maximize operator effectiveness.

		Omron focuses on discrete application leadership - 02/11/11 Automation.com, February 2011 In November of 2010, I attended the Omron Automotive Summit in Chicago and had the opportunity to interview Gregg Holst, Chief Operating Officer and President of Omron Americas. The clear message is that Omron is laser focused on discrete automation and control applications.

		Mechatronics: A vertical perspective - 02/07/11 InTech, February 2011 By Dr. Ken Ryan Mechatronics is now globally accepted, and it is improving manufacturing’s and machines’ efficiency and effectiveness.

		VFDs Can Control Multiple Motors - 02/02/11 Automation.com, February 2010 By Kay Dekker and Joe Koepke Many applications use one or more motors operating in parallel at the same desired speed. Using one Variable frequency drive (VFD) to control these multiple motors provides a host of advantages as summarized in this article.

		Pharmaceutical Automation Roundtable (PAR) - 5 Part Article Series - 01/25/11 Automation.com, January 2011 This 5 part article series is based on the recent Pharmaceutical Automation Roundtable (PAR). Automation professionals from leading life sciences companies gathered together to discuss MES, visualization, software development, system life-cycle planning, executive governance, electronic testing, wireless and more.

		Choose the Right Encoder/Resolver - 01/16/11 Control Design, January 2010 By Dan Hebert Encoders and resolvers often are used to sense motor shaft speed in machines and robots. Resolvers have been around longer, but encoders are more widely used in modern designs because of higher accuracy and superior digital communication interfaces.

		Tips and Tricks for Legacy Hardware - 01/16/11 Control Design, January 2010 By Danny Budzinski Finding information on old industrial hardware isn't easy. There are dozens of legacy brands out there, but chances are that if you have something really old, it was made by Allen-Bradley, GE, Modicon, Omron or Siemens. But even if something is labeled as a Modicon, you might actually have to go somewhere completely different to find the support you need.

		Portability Rage-Part II - 01/16/11 Control Design, January 2010 By Jeremy Pollard The portability issue in IEC 61131 remains. Semantics aside, blocks are developed for each vendor. You cannot take a Beckhoff program and use it with B&R Automation hardware directly.

		Striking Ideas - 01/16/11 Control Design, January 2010 By Jim Montague Innovations that industrial OEMs bring to new generations of machine automation often ignite customer expectations for even more performance. Here’s some of the new innovations in machine controls.

		The Big EISA - 01/16/11 Control Design, January 2010 By Joe Feeley The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) kicked in on Dec. 19, 2010. If you've not been keeping up, you might be surprised that the motor you've been faithfully buying for years is no longer available.

		How to Hijack a Controller - 01/16/11 Control, January 2011 By Ralph Langner Even though Stuxnet as such is not a generic attack on control systems, several parts of the attack are generic, and these parts are easy to copy. With these generic attack techniques, an attacker may not only implement a similar targeted and surgical strike, but may choose to create widespread, random havoc, using any vendor's controller.

		Custom versus Standard Sensors - 01/12/11 By Mark Howard, Zettlex The pros & cons of custom versus standard position sensors and why new technology is changing the rules. Includes an explanation of "bespoke" for U.S. engineers.

		Pharmaceutical Automation Roundtable (PAR) - Part 2 - Virtualization & Software Configuration Management - 01/11/11 Automation.com, January 2011 This is the second article in a series that are the result of the annual Pharmaceutical Automation Roundtable (PAR). A PAR member started the discussion by relating their experience deploying Virtual Machine (VM) technology. Then the discussion turned to Software Development Environment & Configuration Management.

		Molded-On Cordsets: A Cost-Effective, Convenient Solution for Power Distribution - 12/23/10 By Jay Bartsias, TURCK NFPA 79 code permits the use of molded-on cordsets—including quick-disconnect connectors and rugged cable for exposed-run installations—for powering motors, pumps and other machinery. Here’s how to apply them instead of using hard wiring.

		Significant Financial Gains Come with Upgrading an Aging Control System to More Modern Technology - 12/21/10 Automation.com, December 2010 By upgrading aging control systems, manufacturers and processing companies are optimizing production flow and enjoying significant gains in productivity and ROI on their control system investments.

		The Machine of 2020 - 12/18/10 Control Design, December 2010 By Jim Montague Ten years seems like a long time, but many machine builders have begun to think about the next generation of machine design.

		Operator Interface for the Operator - 12/18/10 Control Design, December 2010 By Jack Chopper, Filamatic Machine manuals don't always get read—even if they're loaded on the HMI. Try to design the operator interface such that the manual isn't required for most—if not all—routine machine activities.

		Sensors: Guided Assembly - 12/18/10 Assembly, November 2010 By Jim Camillo Products designed to guide manual assembly have been around for several years. The most popular product categories are pick-to-light systems and tool support arms.

		Position Encoder Deep Dive Automation.com, December 2010 By Chuck Lewin, Performance Motion Devices This article provides a survey of encoder types and the just-as-important subject of data formats that are used to carry and encode position information.

		New robotic safeguarding solutions make safety PLCs unnecessary - 12/12/10 Process and Control Engineering, November 2010 By Kevin Gomez Manufacturers are changing the way they evaluate and deploy robot safeguarding systems. The latest approach is to base the safeguarding strategy on a task and associated hazard analysis and implement the safeguards in robotic programmable safety systems (RPSS), rather than in separate safety PLCs

		Control rooms set to disappear in the future - 12/12/10 Control Engineering Europe, November 2010 By Mike Babb Modern, progressive companies who use the latest communication technologies will find their large control rooms rely less and less on operators sitting at central control panels. Much of the work can be automated, and the operators sent to other areas of the plant that need special attention.

		Industrial wireless LAN promises secure, fast logistics control - 12/12/10 Control Engineering Europe, December 2010 From conveyor systems and logistics, through production lines requiring flexible conversion, right up to rotating machine units, wireless communication offers significant savings potential thanks to lower installation costs, reduced susceptibility to wear and tear, and minimum maintenance.

		A safety solution for hand-fed platen presses - 12/12/10 Control Engineering Europe, December 2010 With the Health & Safety Executive in the UK about to commence on-site inspections of hand-fed platen presses, users of this high-risk machinery need to ensure that their presses meet the required safety standards.

		Mechatronics: Trajectory planning with electronic cams - 12/12/10 Control Engineering, November 2010 By Kevin C. Craig Is the mechanical engineer or the electrical engineer most responsible for understanding motion? Electronic cams can help mechatronic designs.

		Control System Buying Check List - 12/12/10 Control, December 2010 By Lysette Hunt A control system must be able to meet the needs of its application. By evaluating the technical needs, some control systems may be eliminated. Here’s a list to help to determine minimum system requirements.

		Choosing Between Soft Starters and Drives - 12/07/10 Automation.com, December 2010 Regardless of their application, motors that are started across the line require large amounts of energy when accelerating quickly to full speed. Both RVSSs and VFDs reduce AC RMS voltage and reduce inrush currents, and consequently starting torque, by as much as 30% to 70% compared to across-the-line starting.

		Invensys OpsManage 2010: Enterprise Control System - the journey continues... Automation.com, November 2010 At Invensys OpsManage 2010, IOM expanded on their Enterprise Control System (ECS). Steve Blair defined enterprise control as understanding and manipulating the real business drivers to optimize operations from plant floor through enterprise.

		UL-rated explosion-proof motor designs face December 2010 compliance deadline - 11/15/10 Machine Design, October 2010 By Jessica Shapiro Electric-motor manufacturers seeking Underwriters Laboratories’ (UL) “explosionproof” certification face a Dec. 11, 2010 deadline that could change the way they design and build their products. On that date, UL will require that motors fully comply with the UL 674 standard before being labeled explosionproof.

		How to improve a servo-powered machine - 11/15/10 Machine Design, October 2010 By Leland E. Teschler It can be a challenge to make a machine’s servosystem perform better because so many factors come into play: servomotors, the feedback sensor, the servodrives, and the mechanical transmission, to name a few.

		A Clear Machine Vision - 11/15/10 Control Design, November 2010 By Cesar Peña Vision system capabilities and ease-of-use have increased significantly over the past several years, and for many straightforward applications it might be tempting to internally develop your solution. Sometimes this makes sense. However, from my experience, choosing the right experts to partner with can be your absolute best decision when implementing a vision system.

		The Great Data Link-Up - 11/15/10 Control Design, November 2010 By Jim Montague Despite the historical drawbacks and other new hurdles, some machine builders are finding ways to get machine performance data up to their business-level managers and clients. One of the newest ways to secure and distribute machine information is with the MTConnect standard.

		Measuring the rotation angle of large diameter shafts - 11/07/10 HazardEx, October 2010 Traditional rotary encoders can be readily fitted to shaft diameters of less than 2 inches, but what happens if your design needs a much larger diameter through shaft or bore?

		Mechanical vs electronic torque limitation for machinery and operator safety - 11/07/10 Control Engineering Europe, October 2010 Some people may advise that mechanical torque limiters are old-fashioned and unnecessary today, and that electronic monitoring is better suited to meet the needs of machine protection and operator safety. This may not always be the case.

		How to design a linear-motion system - 10/20/10 Machine Design, September 2010 By Jessica Shapiro If you’re designing a linear-motion system, you’ll have to consider structural support, guides, drives, seals, lubrication, and accessories between points A and B.

		Time to Make a Change - 10/20/10 Control Design, October 2010 By Dan Hebert If you're a machine or robot builder OEM, a debugged, reliable and functional control system is a joy. But every machine control system has a lifespan, and sooner or later you'll have to update or replace it. Has your time arrived? How do you tell?

		Dispensing Potting Materials - 10/20/10 Assembly, October 2010 By John Sprovieri Dispensing a potting material may seem like it should be easier than, say, dispensing dots of solder paste on a circuit board or applying a bead of gasketing material around a flange. However, there’s more to the process than simply pouring the resin over the parts.

		Worst Fears Realized - 10/19/10 Control, October 2010 By Nancy Bartels A scary piece of malware named Stuxnet is in town. Remember its name. Its arrival may make you want to change the way you think about control system security.

		IMTS exudes excitement, technology and business opportunities Automation.com, October 2010 By Bill Lydon IMTS 2010 attracted 82,000 attendees from more than 100 countries. This article reviews just a few of the the shows highlights including The Emerging Technology Center, MTConnect for improved machine communications, Hannover/Partnership for 2012, Cloud Computing and integrated machine design and programming.

		Measuring the Rotation Angle of Large Diameter Shafts - 10/14/10 Automation.com, October 2010 By Mark Howard, Zettlex Traditional rotary encoders can be readily fitted to shaft diameters of less than 2 inches, but what happens if your design needs a much larger diameter through shaft or bore?

		The Service Solution - 10/13/10 Control Engineering Asia, September 2010 By G Venkatesh Equipment suppliers and automation solutions providers, who not very long ago used to “supply it, install it and forget it”, are now being called on to nurture the equipment and systems they supply, all through their lifetimes.

		CNC machines push linear encoder limits - 10/13/10 Control Engineering, September 2010 By C.G. Masi The bleeding edge limitation for CNC accuracy and reproducibility involves thermal expansion. One solution is to provide a second, shorter, encoder axis at right angles to the main axis. Here's how.

		Electromagnetic Linear Encoders to the Rescue - 10/13/10 Control Engineering, September 2010 By C.G. Masi Automated motion control beyond traditional robotic applications requires non-traditional linear encoders. Electromagnetic encoders are the answer.

		Simulation Software in Motion Control - 10/13/10 Control Engineering, September 2010 By C.G. Masi Computer simulation software can drastically reduce the cost and time required to design and deploy your next motion-control system, but if you aren’t careful, it can lead you down a primrose path to disaster.

		Machine design software generates open source Mechatronics program code - 09/28/10 Automation.com, September 2010 By Bill Lydon Mechatronics Concept Designer enables the entire development team to collaborate more effectively to design, simulate, and build a complete machine and allows the team to identify and correct issues early, before they become costly problems. To implement a design, the software generates the control application code in the PLCopen XML standard format to create programs for controllers.

		Embrace Process Signature Technology - 09/24/10 IMPO, September 2010 Process signature verification is the capturing of the distinct signature or waveform of critical manufacturing processes as they happen and comparing this with a pre-determined standard. Deviations from the acceptable standard are readily identified and root causes easily determined.

		The Counterfeit Conundrum: Protecting Company And Customer - 09/24/10 Manufacturing.net, September 2010 By Duane Sword, vice president, Thermo Scientific Manufacturers need to be prepared to protect their brand, product and customers. Technology is needed to differentiate between legitimate products and counterfeits so that fakes can be kept out of the supply chain and out of customers’ hands.

		Future Hiring To Benefit Highly Skilled Workers - 09/24/10 Manufacturing.net, September 2010 Of 8 million-plus jobs lost to the recession -- in fields like manufacturing, real estate and financial services -- many, perhaps most, aren't coming back. In their place will be jobs in health care, information technology and statistical analysis.

		Natural gas quality monitoring over the Internet - No programmers required - 09/21/10 Automation.com, September 2010 By Bill Lydon The PlantGard natural gas remote monitoring device allows easy access to real-time 24/7 gas quality updates remotely through a mobile device. The unit consists of a laser device and a NI CompactRIO controller that monitors particle distribution, flow rate, and process conditions in the pipeline.

		From simulation to plant floor control Automation.com, September 2010 By Bill Lydon MathWorks and their hardware partner, Speedgoat GmbH, took another big step onto the plant floor with a turnkey simulation solution. With xPC Target Turnkey, users can do virtual design and debugging of machines, production lines and processes and the results will be automatically implemented in real control systems.

		Sensor Selection for Inspection and Control - 09/12/10 Machine Design, September 2010 By Robert Repas Machine builders cannot rely upon a “one-sensor-fits-all” mentality. The traits of the object or feature of interest, as well as the application environment, will determine what sensor type will prove more advantageous.

		Safety Relays or Better Diagnostics? - 09/12/10 Control Design, September 2010 By Mike Bacidore Where do machine builders draw the line between diagnostic needs and safety?

		Simulations Branch Out - 09/12/10 Control Design, September 2010 By Jim Montague Models and simulations spread beyond former boundaries into machine and production-line optimization and can even aid real-time operations.

		Assembly Presses: Crimping, Staking, Swaging, Clinching - 09/12/10 Assembly, August 2010 By John Sprovieri As long as one of the parts is made of a malleable material—typically metal—engineers can use a pneumatic, hydraulic or electromechanical press to crimp, stake, swage or clinch it to retain the other part. For added strength, the second part can include a ridge, groove or other feature to retain the material that flows from the first part.

		Select the right drive coupling to maximise motor efficiency - 09/10/10 Control Engineering Europe, September 2010 By Neil English, Altra Industrial Motion Companies that upgrade their pumping systems or install new systems, commit themselves to substantial investment, not only in terms of the pumps themselves, but also with new energy efficient motors to drive them.

		Isn't there enough real inertia around? - 09/10/10 Control Engineering, August 2010 By Kevin C. Craig, Marquette University Mechatronics in Design: Adding inertia to a system, that is, adding mechanical mass, is not usually desirable as it slows down system response. Electronic inertia through acceleration feedback improves performance.

		11 ways piezoelectric motors improve equipment performance - 09/10/10 Control Engineering, August 2010 By Jim McMahon, Physik Instrumente Here’s ten reasons to consider piezoelectric motors in an application, along with one more point that many motion system or product designers might not have considered.

		Cimquest INGEAR Finds Eclectic Customer Base to Assist in Automation Automation.com, September 2010 By Thomas R. Cutler I recently interviewed eight distinct companies about technology, efficiency, and automation trends. While the numerator was different, the technology solution selected by each company, the denominator, was remarkably consistent. Each of these individuals interviewed performed one act in common. Each Googled the phrase ".NET PLC driver."

		Electrical design software gaining more acceptance Automation.com, September 2010 By Bill Lydon As U.S. companies gain a better understanding of their costs and risks on projects, more are beginning to use electrical design software. This shift has led to a greater focus on efficiency and systemizing knowledge – ideal for what these software systems accomplish.

		Recycling Gets “Flakey” With Machine Vision - 08/30/10 Machine Vision On Line, August 2010 By Winn Hardin Machine vision has moved from bottle sorting to flake sorting, while using new standards and technologies such as GigE Vision to improve services in agriculture, postal and other sorting applications.

		One Network from IT to Motion Control - 08/26/10 Design News, July 2010 By Bob Hirschinger, Rockwell Automation Machine builders achieve new levels of design flexibility by using the standard Ethernet network platform to connect devices across the enterprise and an entire machine, including variable frequency drives and servo drives for integrated motion control.

		Manufacturing Professionals Make a Splash - 08/26/10 Control Design, August 2010 By Dan Hebert The big question for many OEMs is whether to do all manufacturing from one central location or to manufacture from multiple locations distributed worldwide. Each approach has its advantages and disadvantages.

		Automating Packaging Processes Are All About the System Integrator's Audit - 08/26/10 Control Design, August 2010 By Walt Langosch and Kim Norris, ESS Technologies Auditing the existing process is critical to the success of any automation project. It not only allows the company to fully understand the current process, but it is helpful when writing the equipment specification and calculating ROI.

		Rethinking Cyber Security for Industrial Operations - 08/26/10 Automation World, August 2010 By Robert Mick Cyber-security attacks and defenses both continue to escalate and grow in sophistication.

		Justifying Cyber-security Expenditures - 08/26/10 Automation World, August 2010 By Wes Iversen Here are some tips from one cyber-security program manager on what to say—and what not to say—when making your pitch to top management.

		Protect Your Control Networks - 08/26/10 Automation World, August 2010 BY James R. Koelsch Control networks are way too open to cyber attack.

		Control Systems a New “Bull’s-eye” for Hackers - 08/26/10 Automation World, August 2010 By Wes Iversen The Stuxnet worm that attacked Siemens SCADA and control systems is highly sophisticated, and should be a wake-up call for the industrial controls community.

		Suppliers Apply Web Technologies To Help Automation Users - 08/26/10 Automation World, August 2010 By Gary Mintchell Fewer engineers and technicians working in manufacturing means less time available to travel to obtain the training required to implement, maintain and upgrade complex automation equipment.

		Time for Innovation declared at NIWeek 2010 Automation.com, August 2010 By Bill Lydon NIWeek 2010 attracted a record 3000 engineers, scientists and researchers from all over the world. Dr. James Truchard highlighted how NI's products help users become more like Edison by enabling them to innovate more quickly. Jeff Kodosky elaborated on their innovative research on distributed real-time systems and the tight integration of hardware configuration along with timing.

		Smart machines provide more power - 08/23/10 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, August 2010 By Sean Homan, Rockwell Automation Machines with embedded intelligence offer an innovative way to wring more productivity out of the manufacturing operation. That is because these machines generate data and diagnostics that lead to meaningful analysis. This analysis then helps control engineers to identify how the processes can best be improved.

		Value from Vibration - 08/23/10 Control Engineering Asia, August 2010 By Jonas Berge Developments in wireless instruments and device management software are helping to deliver a more cost-effective solution for vibration monitoring of machinery health.

		Taking advantage of the new Machine Safety Directive - 08/13/10 HazardEx, July 2010 By Paul Considine, Wieland Electric Many machine owners are tempted to stick with the old EN 954-1 standard for as long as possible. And they can do so legally until 31 December 2011. However, they are missing the opportunity to take advantage of what is a better standard that will increase safety in the workplace.

		Honeywell makes move to capture business through SIs - 08/03/10 Automation.com, August 2010 By Bill Lydon HPS is pursuing relationships with independent system integrators (SIs) to "capture incremental business" for smaller systems in applications including specialty chemicals, food & beverage, and pharmaceuticals. This article reviews the details of the Systems Integrator Program.

		3 Reasons Linux Is Preferred for Control Systems - 07/20/10 Automation.com, July 2010 By Krista Duty, Inductive Automation Linux has long been on the "wishlist" for control systems. Until now, most systems have been locked-in to the Windows operating system due to reliance on classic OPC. The name of the game is changing, however, with the arrival OPC-UA. The new standard was designed for cross-platform compatibility, which makes room for Linux to gain popularity in the automated control industry.

		Industry Perspectives from Honeywell User Group 2010 - 07/20/10 Automation.com, July 2010 By Bill Lydon Review the industry perspectives, technology and solutions from HUG Americas 2010. Highlights include an overview of five megatrends identified by Norm Gilsdorf, Honeywell's commitment to legacy products, training and service, and introduction of a new RTU, safety remote IO, in-controller batch manager, and turbo machine controller. Plus, see an example of control system virtualization.

		Action needed on metalworking safety - 07/18/10 Manufacturers’ Monthly, June 2010 By Hartley Henderson Safety in the metal working and machine tools industry remains a major concern with a continuing high rate of injuries and some recent fatalities.

		Four Ways to Enhance ESD Protection After Your Design Flunks Its ESD Test - 07/18/10 Machine Design, July 2010 By Chad Marak and Jim Colby, Silicon Protection Arrays You thought your electrostatic-discharge protection was bulletproof, yet the IC still fried in test. Now what?

		Invasion of the Stepper Motors - 07/18/10 Control Design, July 2010 By Jim Montague Developers add new capabilities to stepper motors and use them in diverse applications; some even push into servo-motor territory.

		Sensors Get Smart, Get Networked - 07/18/10 Control Design, July 2010 By Jim Montague Sensors that used to be networked via dedicated wiring to discrete I/O points and proprietary fieldbuses are freeing themselves from these often costly hardware and communication constraints.

		Driving Technology and Innovation Together Automation.com, July 2010 By Bill Lydon Review the technology and innovations presented by Siemens at their recent 2010 Automation Summit, held in Charlotte, NC. Highlights include Siemens’ focus on energy, advancements in their process control offering, their industrial communications strategy and new distributed panel devices.

		IP ratings- Don’t be misled by the numbers - 07/10/10 HazardEX, July 2010 The system of IP ratings is misleading many specifiers and resulting in higher costs than are strictly necessary. The common mistake is to assume that the higher the IP rating, the better the equipment inside the enclosure will be protected against weather conditions.

		Improve your chances of winning approval for improvement projects - 06/23/10 Plant Services, June 2010 By Tom Moriarty Knowing what the bean counters are looking for allows you to incorporate the numbers and draft better proposals. Better proposals increase your credibility and that increases the number of projects you get approved.

		Selecting the Right Drive System - 06/23/10 MRO, June 2010 By Gates Corp. It's important to consider both costs and performance when choosing chain and belt drive systems.

		Seize the Advantage - 06/23/10 Control Design, June 2010 By Dan Hebert Faster delivery can provide a competitive edge, but only if it's accompanied by high-quality and reliable machines. Here's how some machine builder OEMs meet those demands.

		Understand the New Motor Standards - 06/16/10 Chemical Processing, June 2010 By John Malinowski, Baldor Electric Regulations will require higher energy efficiency for many AC motors.

		Manufacturing Can Be Competitive In The United States - 06/16/10 Manufacturing.net, May 2010 By John W. Kemp and Charles M. Mouranie, Houlihan Smith & Company Increased foreign competition continues to drive much of the U.S. manufacturing sector overseas to take advantage of cheap labor. However, there are still many ways to improve performance and become more competitive while keeping operations in the United States.

		Finding the Plant’s Intelligence - 06/16/10 Automation World, June 2010 By Alex Anderson Software applications and connectivity give managers insight into plant operations, enablng them to improve performance.

		Plant Video: Opening Secret Corners of the Plant - 06/16/10 Automation World, June 2010 Cameras have become an inexpensive way to view the world, and now they’re being introduced into human-machine interface/supervisory control and data acquisition (HMI/SCADA).

		Displays Put Plant Data on the Dashboard - 06/16/10 Automation World, June 2010 By Rob Spiegel While the latest visualization and display technology doesn’t always get a warm reception from older-generation operators, it does provide a greater view into plant production and health.

		The case for hollow shaft torque motors - 06/06/10 Automation.com, June 2010 By Harald Poesch, Siemens Permanent magnet synchronous torque motors offer significant advantages on high energy consuming and high dynamic applications.

		The power of integration exemplified at ABB A&PW 2010 By Bill Lydon, Automation.com The "Connect, Learn, Succeed" theme of this event was about users forming stronger working relationships with ABB. The event brought the opportunity to connect across disciplines and apply products and knowledge - focusing on the power of integration, particularly between automation and power systems. The event attracted more than 4,000 people and offered more than 400 educational and hands-on sessions and a 100,000 sf. exhibit area.

		Safety Systems Only The Start - 05/23/10 Automation World, May 2010 By Alex Anderson It takes more than buying a product or two to make your plant safe.

		The Details of the Safety Standards - 05/23/10 Automation World, May 2010 By Rob Spiegel While changing safety standards are always part of the industry environment for plant machine manufacturers, the standards that will go into affect for Europe at the end of next year provide a shift in how safety is assessed.

		Despite Delay, Machines Makers Move On Global Safety Standards - 05/23/10 Automation World, May 2010 By Rob Spiegel Machine builders prepare for the switch from EN 954-1 to ISO 13849 and IEC 62061.

		Make Safety a Habit Throughout Your Organization - 05/23/10 Automation World, May 2010 By Gary Mintchell How can a company get employees—from the shop floor to the executive suite—to see the risks in what they do and think safety at all times?

		Pneumatics Integrates With Electronics - 05/23/10 Automation World, May 2010 By C. Kenna Amos Current trends for industrial pneumatics show expansion into more electronics as well as integration with them.

		Golden rules for robot success - 05/19/10 Manufacturers’ Monthly, April 2010 By Marian Macdonald Precise, repetitive manual tasks are a classic cause of workplace injuries and lost productivity, making them the perfect job for robots. But just like their human counterparts, robots must be well-matched to their job descriptions.

		10 Questions To Ask Before Buying A Machine Vision System - 05/19/10 Industrial Automation Asia, May 2010 By Didier Lacroix, Cognex This article will guide you through the vision system selection process, providing answers to ten critical questions for evaluating specific product features.

		Motor Methods Multiply - 05/19/10 Control Design, May 2010 By Jim Montague Traditional motors are being refined for nontraditional applications.

		Thin Clients Can Eliminate Software Issues - 05/19/10 Control Design, May 2010 By Jeremy Pollard Appications are installed and run from the server, and the clients just need run software such as VNC, VMware client or RDP protocol to connect to the server to use the server-based applications. The applications could range from Open Office to HMI and SCADA software.

		Safety to Operate - 05/19/10 Control Design, May 2010 By Jim Montague Machine safety still is viewed by management and operators at too many manufacturers as a costly drag on production. Fortunately, it's become increasingly obvious that a little investment in machine safety now can pay huge long-term dividends in reduced downtime and improved production.

		Driving out counterfeit motor and drive technologies - 05/15/10 What’s New in Process Technology, May 2010 By SEW-Eurodrive Overseas manufacturers - located in regions with an inherent disregard for international patent and copyright law and ‘relaxed’ labour laws - are pairing with unscrupulous local importers to introduce inferior drive technologies to the Australian market.

		FDT for Open Access - 05/11/10 Control Engineering Asia, April 2010 By Glenn Schulz Supported by all major DCS, PLC, and instrument/device manufacturers, the FDT standard delivers on the promise of open access to device intelligence.

		Soft Starters versus VFDs - 05/11/10 Control, May 2010 By Dan Hebert Many motors either need or could benefit from some type of control, and two among possible choices are reduced-voltage soft starters and variable-frequency drives (VFDs).

		Employing an Adjustable Frequency Drive with a Soft Starter Bypass Improves System Reliability Today's comprehensive drive packages typically combine several solutions to provide a reliable and robust system. Using a drive with a soft starter built into the bypass offers a spectrum of advantages. In general, soft starters are designed for customers requiring reliable and efficient soft-starting of three-phase motors.

		System Migration Attacks Skills Crisis Automation.com, April 2010 By Bill Lydon Daniel Tadie, Manager of Remote Energy Plants, Colorado Springs Utilities (retired) described a successful migration from a legacy DCS to a new system at Colorado Springs Utilities Birdsall power plant. I was impressed with the philosophy, methodical approach, system performance results, and significant improvements in operations.

		Vibration amplitude criteria - 04/16/10 Plant Services, April 2010 By Bill Watts Machinery vibration analysis, whether performed manually or by diagnostic software, requires some sort of baseline. That baseline needs to exhibit realistic amplitudes at various forcing frequencies and noise floors. The ideal baseline is derived from empirical test data from machines of the same model.

		Robot aids in an automated world - 04/16/10 Manufacturers’ Monthly, April 2010 As intelligence technologies develop, such as vision and laser systems, robotic machine loaders and tenders are revolutionising the factory floor, virtually eliminating operators and with them, labour costs.

		SCADA, HMI Boundaries Blur - 04/14/10 Control Design, April 2010 By Jeremy Pollard The availability of vital operating information in real time, data historians, KPIs and data-mining extensions make the modern-day differences between SCADA and HMI systems very blurry. There isn't a device on the planet that can't be connected and monitored by any HMI/SCADA System.

		IEC 61508 Drives Functional Safety of Machinery - 04/14/10 Control Design, April 2010 By Matthias Haynl, TÜV Rheinland This article provides the relevant aspects of functional safety for machinery taken from a basic point of view and addresses the changing requirements of the European Union and the U.S.

		Is Redundancy Necessary or Superfluous? - 04/14/10 Control Design, April 2010 By Mike Bacidore Redundancy in machine systems and networks can be critical. The trick is knowing when redundancy is necessary and beneficial and when it needlessly complicates the design and function and increases the cost.

		Green Identity - 04/14/10 Control Design, April 2010 By Jim Montague An important first step toward sustainable manufacturing is better machine efficiency and conservation.

		Machine Information in Your Hand - 04/14/10 Control Design, April 2010 By Dan Hebert As customers use handheld wireless human-machine interface (HMI) units more frequently, it's important that machine builders understand how best to make machines fit overall wireless infrastructures. Increasingly, compatibility with existing and planned wireless machine monitoring systems will be a required feature.

		Make Grippers More Productive - 04/14/10 Assembly, April 2010 By Henry Menke Too often, grippers operate blindly without any feedback regarding their status or condition. Fortunately, various sensor technologies can give dumb grippers the feedback necessary to become smart. The optimum sensor technology to choose depends on what parameter of gripper performance needs to be monitored.

		Understanding the IEC61131-3 programming languages - 04/08/10 What’s New in Process Technology, March 2010 IEC61131-3 identifies the five programming languages and their common abbreviations as: Ladder Diagram (LD), Instruction List (IL), Function Block Diagram (FBD), Structured Text (ST) and Sequential Function Chart (SFC). When should one be used over another? What are the benefits and disadvantages of each?

		When machines talk, will you listen? - 04/08/10 Control Engineering Europe, April 2010 Machine tool vendors and end users are collaborating through the MTConnect Institute to define a standard interface. With MTConnect, a machine tool acts as a web server to share information about itself. The MTConnect Institute is also working on interface specifications for attached robots, gages, and adapters.

		Protecting Intellectual Property - 04/08/10 Control Engineering, April 2010 By Peter Welander If a company’s knowledge is a valuable asset, how do you keep it from eroding? Can it be protected during critical times such as control system upgrades and migrations?

		Sensorless Control of a Brushless DC Motor - 04/08/10 Control Engineering, April 2010 By Daniel Torres, Microchip Technology Digital signal controllers make it possible to meet motor torque and speed demands without employing rotor position sensors.

		Mechanical Engineering Career Assessment - 04/08/10 Control Engineering, April 2010 By Mark T. Hoske and Renee Robbins CE’s survey says while three-quarters of those practicing mechanical engineering are positive about their jobs, 10% advised against pursuing a mechanical engineering career. Almost half (47%) make $75,000 or more.

		Optimize Machine Vision Inspection Results with Dedicated Lighting - 03/31/10 By Brent Evanger, Banner Engineering Many engineers use machine vision equipment in quality control inspection processes. To attain accurate results from these inspections, however, the user must ensure sufficient lighting.

		Optimize automation design for serviceability - 03/26/10 Plant Engineering, March 2010 By Yoshihiro Kaneda, Misumi USA One approach that has worked for many automation industry leaders is adoption of a design engineering strategy that standardizes on configurable machine parts, wherever possible, in order to replace unique custom-designed components with more modular and readily accessible ones.

		Designing a Robust and Reliable Industrial Communications Infrastructure By Bill Wotruba, Belden Guidelines and best practices that IT teams, industrial network designers and integrators should consider in designing and specifying an industrial communications network capable of delivering close to 100 percent uptime.

		Automatic PLC Code Generation & Design Interchange Standards Automation.com, April 2010 By Bill Lydon Open standards, more powerful desktop computers, and lower cost software are making design, modeling, and automatic code generation for PLCs and PACs practical for improving automation.

		No room for complacency with CAM - 03/19/10 Manufacturers’ Monthly, March 2010 By Keith Watts With manufacturers facing lower customer orders, many companies are looking to improve the productivity of their existing equipment by using more efficient programming tools.

		Does laser scanning measure up? - 03/19/10 Manufacturers’ Monthly, March 2010 By Rebekka Wake While fixed, bridge style CMMs have experienced little change in the past few years, the trend towards multi-sensored and non-contact measurement machines is growing, particularly when it comes to portability.

		A PLC by Any Other Name - 03/19/10 Control Design, March 2010 By James Ingraham The line between a PAC and a PLC remains quite blurry. When exactly is the jump made between a high-end PLC and a low-end PAC? In the end, the distinction is less about naming convention and more about application needs.

		Automated Assembly: Get Agile - 03/19/10 Assembly, March 2010 By Jim Peyton Manufacturers face a dilemma. They must automate to achieve the quality and cost structure to remain competitive. Yet, they can’t justify investing in automation because short production runs, low volume and high uncertainty defy standard ROI analysis.

		Distributed control provides plug-and-play function blocks - 03/13/10 Process & Control Engineering, March 2010 By Ralf Möbus, Safety Network International With distributed control a fully mechatronical modularisation of machinery is possible where modules can act almost independently from the rest of the machinery. Such an approach offers several advantages for machine builders.

		CE is no guarantee - 03/13/10 Control Engineering Europe, March 2010 By Paul Laidler, Laidler Associates There’s a widespread belief among machine users that when they buy a new machine, all they need to do to meet their obligations under PUWER is to make sure that it bears the CE marking. But it’s not that simple.

		Collecting Data Reports from Controllers - 03/13/10 Control Engineering, March 2010 By William Love, Kredit Automation & Controls A tutorial on how to create a simple solution using common off-the-shelf software to solve a variety of manufacturing data collection needs.

		How to choose a CANbus industrial controller - 03/13/10 Control Engineering, March 2010 By Ulrich Luetke Entrup, Janz Automation Systems Initial price for an industrial PC is higher than a consumer equivalent, but long-term cost is lower for industrial control applications. Here’s why.

		How to select a safety light screen for industrial machinery - 03/13/10 Control Engineering, March 2010 By Mike Carlson, Banner Engineering Safety light curtains, appropriately applied to industrial machinery applications, can protect and provide required functionality, significantly lowering risk to personnel and equipment.

		Situation Critical - 03/13/10 Control, March 2010 By Ian Nimmo, User Centered Design Services A control room environment is needed that proactively supports operator alertness, does not contribute to fatigue or distractions and supports the operators in all the tasks they have to perform. This includes non-DCS tasks such as report writing, MOC, performance improvement, training, etc.

		The Beat Goes On - 03/10/10 Machinery and Equipment MRO, February 2010 By: Dr. Edwin Becker And Florian Buder “Beating” generated by two neighbouring machines can lead to enormous vibration damage and even machine failure. Here's an example of what to do about it.

		Go Lean And Green: Align The Machine - 03/10/10 Maintenance Technology, February 2010 By Bill Hillman, Ludeca Approximately 50% of vibration-based damage to rotating equipment involves misalignment issues. When machinery is well-aligned, MTBF increases and power consumption drops. Not a bad way to cut operating costs!

		New Gigabyte Industrial Ethernet Open Protocol - CC-Link IE The CC-Link Partner Association (CLPA) announced the release of the open architecture gigabit (GB) CC-Link IE Field Network. I recently met with two members of CLPA Americas to get an update on the latest CC-Link IE standard. Chuck Lukasik is the Director of CLPA Americas and John Woznaik is their Network Specialist.

		Outsourcing Your Engineering - 02/28/10 Manufacturing.net, February 2010 By Amanda Earing Outsourcing your engineering can free up your in-house engineering department to focus on other projects, and saves time and money.

		Re-Shoring: Bringing Manufacturing Back To American Suppliers - 02/28/10 Manufacturing.net, February 2010 By Michael Collins, MPC Management Many manufacturers have begun to pull their supply chains back. They have learned that problems beyond their control like flu viruses, energy prices, earthquakes, and geopolitical disturbances are threats to their supply chains. They also now know the additional costs of unanticipated problems.

		New Uses for Linear Variable Differential Transformers (LVDTs) - 02/26/10 Machine Design, February 2010 By Robert Repas Microcontroller-based electronics coupled with new corrosion-resistant, high-temperature materials keep LVDT technology competitive. It continues to offer high durability and excellent cost of ownership compared to other displacement-sensing technologies.

		Why Servomotor Temperature Sensors can Give Misleading Readings - 02/26/10 Machine Design, February 2010 By Leland E. Teschler Conventional thermal models can be inaccurate enough to cause trouble when servomotors get pushed to their limits.

		Comparing Performance and Efficiency of Linear Motors, Ball Screws, and Rack-and-Pinion Drives - 02/26/10 Machine Design, February 2010 By Kenneth J. Korane Linear motors, ball screws, and precision rack-and-pinion gear drives are all good options for engineers designing electromechanical linear-motion systems. Here’s a comparison.

		Tips and Advice on Buying a High-Speed Camera for Troubleshooting Industrial Machines and Processes - 02/26/10 Machine Design, February 2010 By Stephen J. Mraz Got problems? A 500 frame-per-second video could help troubleshoot seemingly impenetrable design issues. This usually means buying a camera capable of acquiring hundreds of images per second. Here’s some advice on buying the right camera.

		Safety Reviews Required When Modifying Equipment, too - 02/26/10 Machine Design, February 2010 By Lanny Berke When manufacturers do preliminary hazard analyses on their products, it is critical that they include the products’ intended uses and reasonably foreseeable misuses. However, there are some misuses that designers can’t be expected to predict

		Today’s motion control requires close hardware/software integration and flexibility - 02/26/10 Industrial Embedded Systems, February 2010 By Patrick H. Dwyer, Aim Controls Advances in FPGA technology with both integrated processing cores and better real-time performance have compelled designers to revisit tasks for motion control. Functions once completed in software can now be placed in an FPGA for enhanced performance and increased features.

		Encoders open the way for new applications - 02/26/10 Industrial Embedded Systems, February 2010 By Reinhard Kuhn, HEIDENHAIN Technology in optical scan linear encoders is changing to support more demanding applications in which motion control performance largely depends on the type of encoder used.

		PCs: Cost-effective, high-performance motion control platforms - 02/26/10 Industrial Embedded Systems, February 2010 By Kim Hartman, TenAsys The title is correct, but isn't referring to the basic Windows-based PC that we all know. Instead, a virtualized environment with real-time deterministic capability can turn a PC into a motion control platform.

		A Little Simulation Goes a Long Way - 02/25/10 Industrial Automation Asia, December 2009 By Mary-Anne Sotto, National Instruments ASEAN Simulate the design or model that was created and do an initial testing in simulation mode. This is a much preferred method since you are able to test out the capabilities of a design without incurring too much cost.

		Build vs Buy - 02/25/10 Industrial Automation Asia, December 2009 By David Pascoe, QSI Corporation Any manufacturer of complex machines or vehicles that include HMIs must face a crucial decision: should you build your own human machine interfaces or should you buy these vital components ready-made or customised from an outside source?

		What’s next for microcontrollers? - 02/22/10 Embedded Computing Design, February 2010 By Jacob Borgeson, Texas Instruments Despite what many say about software taking over the majority of the design process, developers still look to the silicon. Three emerging trends in microcontroller research are poised to open up a wide variety of applications within the next two years.

		Selecting A Motor and Drive Architecture - 02/22/10 Design News, February 2010 By Joaquin Ocampo, Bosch Rexroth In the past few years, the concept of integrating servo drives and motors together outside of the control cabinet and directly onto the machine has gained a lot of momentum among design engineers. But how do you know if this style of drive architecture is appropriate for your application?

		Tracking the Sun - 02/22/10 Design News, February 2010 By Al Presher A look at how solar trackers are exploiting motion control and automation technology to boost energy production.

		Programmable Safety Controllers Are Slow to Gain Acceptance - 02/22/10 Control Design, February 2010 By Jim Montague It's been more than a few years since the NFPA amended its NFPA-79 regulations to allow safety and control communications on the same network, but it took longer for suppliers to release updated programmable safety controllers, and it's taking even longer for users to adopt them.

		Stick to the Playbook - 02/22/10 Control Design, February 2010 By Dan Hebert One approach for machine builders is to create machines that can be developed and maintained by fewer highly skilled automation pros using a team approach. This requires an entirely different method of designing machines, one that relies on standards and modules instead of custom designs.

		Elephants Are the Answer- Part II - 02/22/10 Control Design, February 2010 By Mike Bacidore While the Chinese excel at producing things, it's no secret that the quality often is horrendous. Their acceptable standards aren't the same as those in western countries.

		Machine Control Integration Produces Savings - 02/22/10 Automation World, February 2010 By Rob Spiegel Plants are relying on new generations of more fully integrated control technology to run smaller, faster and more efficient machines.

		Multi-Core Virtualization Changes Process Controllers - 02/22/10 Automation World, February 2010 By Marty Weil Current design practice calls for three controllers: one for the sensor, one for the actuator and one to handle the HMI and network traffic. With a multi core processor, three controllers are no longer necessary.

		Intelligence at the Device - 02/16/10 Control Engineering Europe, January 2010 By Jeanine Katzel As components get smarter and more powerful, manufacturers are finding themselves managing high-performance automation and control systems whose parts are capable of monitoring themselves, diagnosing their own problems, and maybe even making a decision or two, economically and easily.

		Motor control terms: Braking - 02/16/10 Control Engineering, February 2010 By Mark T. Hoske Are there differences in servo drives and servo amps? What are the different kinds of motor braking strategies? 'Brake’ now for motor learning.

		Electric servo precision for tube bending - 02/16/10 Control Engineering, February 2010 By Frank J. Bartos A relatively recent trend is bringing electric servo power to tube bending for precision, energy efficiency, and other benefits. “All-electric” (AE) bending machines handle tubes of increasingly larger diameters and wall thicknesses.

		When updating your computer security, why patch? - 01/27/10 Plant Engineering, January 2010 By Michael Bush, Rockwell Automation While the installation of a buffer zone in a manufacturing environment provides an excellent barrier to block direct attacks from the outside, no buffer zone provides a perfect security solution for your automation system. This is why you patch.

		New automation architecture puts the power at the device - 01/27/10 Plant Engineering, January 2010 By David Voynow, Schneider Electric Distributed logic is the most recent IT architectural offspring that is already moving the automation community away from a centralized logic architecture to putting just enough computing power at the mechanical prime mover – such as motor starters and drives that operate conveyors.

		Parallel Process Simplifies Retrofit - 01/27/10 Machinery and Equipment MRO, December 2009 Installation of a parallel process involves having an equivalent control system wired to the same sensors and control devices so it can take over your automated control systems operation when the older equipment begins to fail.

		A New Approach to Wireless Power Transfer - 01/27/10 Sensors, January 2010 By Fady Mishriki The conventional approach to getting power to the rotating parts of industrial equipment is to use a mechanical slip ring. Unfortunately, slip rings present reliability problems along with the associated downtime and ongoing maintenance costs. Today, however, device designers have another option: wireless power transfer.

		The Five Motion Senses: MEMS Inertial Sensing to Transform Applications - 01/27/10 Sensors, January 2010 By Harvey Weinberg and Rob O'Reilly The introduction of robust, low-cost MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes enables the incorporation of motion sensing into a greater variety of applications.

		Three Bugaboos to Avoid When Designing a PC into Your Application - 01/24/10 Design News, January 2010 By Franklin Flint, Dell OEM Solutions Three common "gotchas" often show up too late: Planning for the PC form factor that best fits your requirement; Considering the reliability options available to the solution; Taking into account the long-term consistent supply of the PC hardware.

		Hard Targets - 01/24/10 Control Design, January 2010 By Jim Montague Machine builders draw a bead on the often difficult to determine needs of their customers with new levels of collaboration and capabilities.

		Encoders Solve Mechanical Puzzles - 01/24/10 Control Design, January 2010 By N. Lewis Bodden Most applications require that a measurement be taken with a zero starting point and account for movement in both directions. A quad-phase or quadrature encoder fulfills those requirements. But it’s not that easy.

		Entry Into the Chinese Machine-Building Market Might Be Explained by Elephant Jokes - 01/24/10 Control Design, January 2010 By Mike Bacidore Elephant jokes explain the realities of moving into the Chinese market for machine builders. Here’s one: “How do you know if an elephant has been in your refrigerator? The labels on everything in it read: "Made in China."

		ERP Is Reaching The Shop Floor - 01/20/10 Automation World, January 2010 By Rob Spiegel The suppliers of enterprise resource planning systems have bolstered their MES applications to support manufacturing processes.

		On-Machine Probing Central in 2010 Lean Process On-Machine probing is a great way to reduce costs, downtime and operator error. Although measuring a part when it's clamped into a machining center uses up metal-cutting time, doing so can actually save minutes upstream and downstream of the machining cycle. The whole idea behind on-machine probing is to eliminate variation in a process.

		Shaft grounding - 01/09/10 Plant Services, December 2009 By Adam Willwerth VFDs can induce electric currents on motor shafts that ruin bearings, shorten motor life and diminish system reliability. One way to mitigate the effects of these currents is to ground the motor shaft to protect bearings and eliminate expensive repairs.

		Picture Programming Packs a Punch - 12/15/09 Control Design, December 2009 By Jim Montague Some industrial machine automation and controls systems even seem poised to adopt graphical programming apps in the same way that Apple's iPhones and iTouches do it.

		Digital Controls Deliver Diagnostics, Maintenance and Troubleshooting Benefits - 12/15/09 Control Design, December 2009 By Mike Bacidore Are your controls digital-healthy?: The growing use of fieldbus, ethernet and wireless means more opportunities for diagnostic tools and monitoring, but how do you diagnose your digital controls?

		Rockwell Automation Fair 2009 - Smart, Safe & Sustainable Manufacturing By Bill Lydon As usual, Rockwell Automation Fair was an impressive event with over 8,000 attendees. Rockwell's continued focus on process control punctuates their very direct message that the Logix architecture can meet all control and automation requirements from discrete to process control.

		New ways to keep track of shaft positions - 12/06/09 Control Engineering Europe, November 2009 By Mike Babb Encoders are beginning to shed some of their older mechanical parts, such as gears, and take on new technologies such as AMR (Anisotropic-Magneto-Resistive effect) which has been used in computer disc drives for some time. Applications in extremely harsh industrial and outdoor environments appear to be the current goal of these new products.

		Siemens Industry's New Automation Organization By Bill Lydon Interview with Raj Batra President, Industry Automation Division Batra was formerly vice president, Automation & Motion, for Siemens Energy & Automation. The Industry Automation division, based in Alpharetta, Ga., encompasses automation products including programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and controls for discrete and process automation.

		Bad vibrations - 11/24/09 Plant Services, November 2009 By Stanley R. Bognatz Here is how EMA and ODS analysis were used to better understand the dynamics of two specific machinery problems that were difficult to visualize using standard vibration analysis techniques.

		Vision and Motion: Better Together, Part I - 11/21/09 Machine Vision On Line, November 2009 By Kristin Lewotsky As applications have become more demanding and the sophistication of hardware and software rises, implementations have gone from completely uncoupled systems in which motion serves vision, to tightly coupled combinations in which vision serves motion. Ultimately, the application drives the choice of hardware, software, and architecture.

		Robotic Simulation and Off-line Programming - 11/21/09 Robotics Online, November 2009 By Bennett Brumson, Robotic Industries Association Robotic simulation and off-line programming (OLP) are powerful tools for saving integrators and end-users time and money when designing a work cell. The ability to analyze how a work cell will behave before investing time and money on equipment makes for a smoother transition from concept to reality.

		Build-Vs.-Buy In Manufacturing - 11/21/09 Manufacturing.net, November 2009 By Tony Lavia, Flexstar Technology Conventional wisdom mandates that a modern company build only such tools that enhance ROI and build up their competitive advantage; all others should be outsourced. So why is it that (otherwise) level-headed companies ignore this principle?

		Applications Bring Credibility to Digital Buses for Motion Control - 11/21/09 Control Design, November 2009 By Dan Hebert Most everyone now agrees that digital buses save money and improve performance when compared to their hardwired alternatives. There is also a general consensus that these benefits don't come easily, although implementation is not as difficult as it was in the early days of the technology pioneers.

		Electrical Design Allows Engineers to Share Information and Speed Results - 11/21/09 Control Design, November 2009 By Phil Burgert Improved schematic-design efficiency, improved quality, error checking and sharing of documents and data are among the advantages that controls engineers cite for working with current-generation electrical computer-aided design (E-CAD) systems.

		Machines Have Their Say - 11/21/09 Control, November 2009 By Nancy Bartels Machines are getting better at telling us what's wrong with them. more and better sensors and sophisticated algorithms make predictive maintenance practical—and help close the loop between the plant floor, EAM systems and ERP.

		A Nation of Marketers and Burger Flippers? - 11/17/09 Design News, November 2009 By Richard Glasson, Control Products Inc Aggressive outsourcing policies say that the production and engineering of critical parts and assemblies are commoditized activities that could be done by anyone, anywhere, with no loss of quality to the end users. However, recent high-profile cases indicate that quality problems frequently arise with outsourced products.

		Engineers Improve Uptime With Real-time Data - 11/17/09 Automation World, November 2009 By Alex Anderson Getting the facts directly from the machine leads engineers to the real causes of downtime and helps them keep machines running productively.

		Automated Assembly: Make or Buy? - 11/17/09 Assembly, November 2009 By John Wirtz The answer to the make or buy question typically depends on factors such as time constraints, the size and structure of the manufacturer and its engineering department, the assembly application and the type of machine. And, a decision to use a machine builder or systems integrator one time doesn’t mean that a company shouldn’t build a machine in-house for its next project.

		What motor users need to know - 11/11/09 InTech, November 2009 By Kitt Butler Motors manufactured after 19 December 2010 must comply with the new rules defined in EISA, but that is an issue for OEMs. How will this legislation affect the end user?

		Virtual Training & Operations The most thought-provoking demonstration at the 2009 IPS User Group Conference was the new EYEsim virtual reality system. It puts a user into a virtual plant and allows interactive operation, just as in a real plant. The user wears 3D glasses and uses a joystick to interact with the simulation. It is like playing a video game. Activities include walking through the virtual plant, checking controls, closing valves, reading gauges, and other tasks. The demonstration was complete with a simulated plant fire and the operator was guided to the shutoff valve to suppress the fire.

		Robots Attack When Safety Measures are Lacking - 10/19/09 Machine Design, October 2009 By Jessica Shapiro A mechanic was pinned down by a robotic arm he was trying to repair thanks to missing guards, warnings, interlocks, and lockout/tagout procedures.

		Come Together - 10/19/09 Control Design, October 2009 By Jim Montague New mechatronics tools make it easier for engineers to collaborate on model-based, motion-enabled designs.

		Panel Meters Show Off - 10/19/09 Control Design, October 2009 By Jim Montague Besides adding higher-resolution LCDs and touchscreens, some panel meter developers are making the interface easier to read and adding other helpful hardware and software-based features.

		How Should Vendors Handle Service Issues With Machine Builders' Customers? - 10/19/09 Control Design, October 2009 By Dan Hebert Whom should vendors serve? When vendors sell products to OEM resellers, service issues become complex.

		Remote Diagnostics Check Machine Condition - 10/19/09 Automation World, October 2009 By James R. Koelsch Advances in communications and networking technology are making remote machine diagnostics practical for a wider range of suppliers and users.

		An Update on EDDL and FDT - 10/19/09 Automation World, October 2009 By Gary Mintchell EDDL stands for Electronic Device Description Language, and FDT represents Field Device Tool. These software tools play a vital role in facilitating preventive maintenance and helping to turn digital automation into a nearly plug-and-play affair.

		Machine Safety Automation Requires Planned Strategy - 10/19/09 Automation World, October 2009 By C. Kenna Amos Business and plant managers actively seek a well-thought-out, intelligent safety strategy that not only protects humans, machines and the environment—but also supports increased productivity, improved machine efficiency and increased uptime

		Cutting Edge Grippers - 10/19/09 Assembly, October 2009 By Adam Cort Long and thin grippers, short and wide grippers, vacuum grippers, or combinations of multiple gripping devices mounted at various points on a set of aluminum framing—robotics manufacturers and suppliers have created a dizzying array of technologies to handle everything from engines to delicate glass ampoules for the medical device industry.

		Motion Control: How to Specify Short Linear Actuators - 10/19/09 Assembly, October 2009 By Naoki Yamaguchi To choose the right system for an application, actuators must be carefully analyzed. Comparisons of the design and sizing of components such as the slide block, raceway, bearings, guide rails, ballscrew, nut and housing materials are critical. They all factor into actuator performance.

		How's Your Fieldbus Resume? - 10/19/09 Control, October 2009 By John Rezabek If you're looking for a job or interviewing to fill a vacancy in your organization, what kind of qualifications should you be displaying to qualify for the jobs that are available? There's an excellent chance no one on the hiring team understands what you do, especially if it consists of the plant manager and the HR person.

		The seven habits of highly successful control engineers - 10/10/09 What’s New in Process Technology, September 2009 Highly successful control engineers didn’t become that way by accident. The most successful engineers develop habits that improve results and the recognition of those results.

		Coping with change - 10/10/09 South Africa Instrumentation & Control, October 2009 By Deon van Aardt, Wonderware Southern Africa The problems manufacturers are trying to solve today are far more complex than they were 10 years ago and there is every indication that this trend will continue into the future. What has plagued industry is the ability of software to cope with change.

		Return on assets: To the max! - 10/10/09 InTech, October 2009 By Greg Hood and Wil Chin To enhance asset management, companies are selecting condition-monitoring solutions that are on an open database platform and have features such as standard vibration data types, the power to perform calculations, and the ability to integrate seamlessly with the plant-floor control and process systems.

		Squeeze play - 10/10/09 InTech, October 2009 By Gregory Hale InTech survey: Pressure to cut costs intensifies; salary levels remain consistent; safety knowledge is the top skill new automation professionals are missing.

		Tuning up for global standards - 10/10/09 InTech, October 2009 By Bill Fiske and Ellen Fussell Policastro Standardization should support your business strategy, otherwise, why bother? You cannot support a strategy unless you have one.

		Is the need for local plant indication a thing of the past? - 10/10/09 Control Engineering Europe, September 2009 By Alec Robshaw, Beka Associates It would be logical to assume that the use of large local control panels full of controllers and gauges is becoming truly extinct. Good engineering practice suggests the old-school practice of ‘walking the plant’ lends a pair of eyes and ears to the process that no end of sensors and transmitters can replace.

		Using Algorithms to Increase Motor Efficiency - 10/10/09 Control Engineering, October 2009 By Christian Fritz, National Instruments When you can’t just replace lower-efficiency motors, you can use sophisticated control techniques built on FPGA-based devices to improve energy efficiency.

		Electromechanical Switches for Pharmaceutical Process Applications - 09/20/09 Electromechanical Switches for Pharmaceutical Process Applications Pharmaceutical Processing, September 2009 By Markus Affolter, Wilbrecht LEDCO While a broad range of sensors are available for temperature and pressure control, a simple solution, like a pressure switch activating power directly without the use of an interconnected controller or electronics circuit, is often the best-and in many cases, the most cost-effective.

		Alarms: Behind the Red Screen - 09/20/09 Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, September 2009 By C. Martin Hinckley, Assured Quality, Inc. When operators fail to follow or actively dismantle “andon” devices it’s usually a sign of serious systemic problems. Here’s how to prevent them from resulting in recalls or worse.

		The OPC Connection - 09/20/09 Control Engineering Asia, September 2009 By Randy Kondor OPC UA (Unified Architecture) represents the OPC Foundation’s most recent set of specifications for process control and automation system interconnectivity. With all the expanded connectivity that the new OPC UA offers, expect a sharp increase in OPC’s penetration of plants.

		The Virtual Plant - 09/20/09 Control Engineering Asia, September 2009 By Maurizio Rovaglio and Tobias Scheele Until recently, the use of virtual reality (VR) had been limited by systems constraints. Advances in hardware processing power and software development will allow VR to be used as the interface with computer-based multimedia activities that include training, process design, maintenance and safety.

		Wireless: Access All Areas - 09/20/09 Control Engineering Asia, September 2009 By Madanmohan Rao The right wireless solution in an industrial setting can reduce if not eliminate “blind spots” in a plant, areas of operation which have been previously either technically or economically unreachable with wires. It can also improve efficiency and security in areas already wired up. Eventually, wireless industrial solutions will play a major role in the overall performance and safety of a facility.

		Machine Data Acquisition Capabilities Grow - 09/20/09 Control Design, September 2009 By Phil Burgert Better data acquisition technologies for factory settings are raising interest among machine builders and their customers. Maintenance and service top the list of benefits that can be leveraged, but increasing capabilities for enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems also are coming along.

		Track & Trace Becomes a Critical Operations Tool for Manufacturing - 09/20/09 Automation World, September 2009 By Gary Mintchell Originally deployed for incident mitigation or avoidance, track-and-trace applications are now essential tools for achieving operational excellence.

		Bad Design Brings Press to a Crushing Halt - 09/16/09 Machine Design, September 2009 By Jessica Shapiro A punch-press operator cycled the press once. When she reached in to reposition the workpiece according to standard procedure, the press cycled again, crushing fingers on both her hands. Investigators examined the “single-trip” mechanism that should have stopped the press and found several problems.

		Sensor sense: Safety-Light Curtains - 09/16/09 Machine Design, September 2009 By Robert Repas Today’s safety-control architectures use 24-Vdc power and safety-rated redundant solid-state outputs, along with significant advances in electrooptic and integrated-circuit technology, that deliver heightened safety and performance in a package less than 1-in. square.

		The world’s going wireless, but what about our industry? - 09/13/09 Process & Control Engineering, September 2009 By Greg Ferrar, Endress+Hauser Despite the extensive marketing hype from some suppliers promoting the implementation of WirelessHart devices everywhere, the global standard for WSN is only just being finalised. Because of this, the technology is yet to be accepted for true plant control – this is still some time away.

		Are you looking forward to Windows 7? I’m not - 09/13/09 Control Engineering Europe, September 2009 By Mike Babb Windows 7 is the same old stuff, just re-arranged a little bit to make you think you’re getting ‘the latest technology.’ In the past 15 years Microsoft has done nothing new in the way of office software technology, yet they have millions believing the illusion that they have.

		Ethernet Enthusiasm: Will it Saturate the Plant? - 09/13/09 Control Engineering Europe, September 2009 Zealous Ethernet champions see the day when all instruments, actuators, and controllers are connected in one vast harmonious plant network—and, by natural extension, to the Internet. Never mind Profibus, serial communications, or 4-20 mA: they will all fade away.

		Planning Cuts Automation Project Risk - 09/13/09 Control Engineering, September 2009 By Vance VanDoren System integrators share tips on how avoiding surprises helps them succeed. Clear communications and documentation top the list. Tools follow for project management.

		Another kind of integration - 09/13/09 Control Engineering, September 2009 By Mark Voigtmann What is contract integration? It is, quite simply, knowing the boundaries of the "deal." It is amazing how many companies neglect this most basic of legal principles—to the point where the process may be integrated but the legal requirements are not.

		AC permanent magnet motors - 09/13/09 Control Engineering, September 2009 By Peter Welander Permanent magnet (PM) motors can offer higher efficiency levels than induction motors since they have no I2R losses in the rotor. While ac PM motors aren't for every situation, their growing list of capabilities offers advantages that might solve your next application problem

		Explanations and applications of Statistical Process Control - 08/27/09 Reliable Plant, August 2009 By Mettler Toledo SPC is far more than a control chart or a mere capability index. It is a system that uses process data to describe a prototypical manufacturing process in connection with its environment. The goal of the method is to intervene in the process before tolerance violators occur, and thereby optimize the entire process.

		Managing an open system - 08/27/09 Plant Engineering, August 2009 By Shawn Gold, Honeywell Process Solutions For all the benefits open systems provide, they pose significant IT challenges. End users can only rely so much on their automation suppliers for support to keep process control networks secure. The reality is that plant engineers are now responsible for increasingly complex open automation architectures and the specialized IT support functions that go along with them.

		Heat Seeker - 08/27/09 Machinery and Equipment MRO, June 2009 By Colin Plastow Thermal imaging using infrared technology can capture thousands of points at once, for all of the critical components -for example, the motor, shaft coupling, motor and shaft bearings, and the gearbox -to create a comprehensive temperature profile in a short space of time

		OPC UA Redefines Automation Architectures By Bill Lydon, Automation.com The new OPC UA technology provides an efficient and secure infrastructure for communications - from sensor to business enterprise computing for all automation systems in manufacturing and process control. OPC UA leverages web services to provide a single programming paradigm in a scalable architecture that can be implemented is a range of devices - from embedded to enterprise.

		Please Don’t Hire Me! - 08/24/09 Chemical Processing, August 2009 By Dirk Willard Some contracts simply aren’t worth winning. Especially a client you always lose money on. Let the other guy win the contract. You can’t afford that kind of job.

		What’s the Right Blend in Automation Platforms? - 08/20/09 Managing Automation, August 2009 By Stephanie Neil Manufacturers don’t have the time or money to overhaul antiquated automation systems. It’s not an easy task for companies that have spent the past 20 years investing in a cornucopia of control, including PLCs, CNC or a DCS, on top of which they’ve built out a complex network of I/O communication modules, sensors, and software from historians to HMIs.

		Implementing Automation - 08/20/09 Machine Design, August 2009 By Richard K. Hubert, Pelco When designing automated systems, a significant challenge is getting all the information needed to best understand requirements and anticipate results. In large companies, it’s sometimes difficult to obtain information without a committee, but accurate data helps ensure a successful project.

		Techniques to Build Energy-Efficient and Sustainable Machines - 08/20/09 Machine Design, July 2009 By Robert Repas Energy costs rise an average of 6 to 8% each year, so it often makes sense to design for energy efficiency. Direct-drive motors can, on average, improve operating efficiency from 60 to 90% when replacing worm gearboxes.

		New Algorithm Thwarts Velocity Disturbances in Motion-Control Schemes - 08/20/09 Machine Design, July 2009 By Jacob Tall and Andy Herum, Galil Motion Control Quantization in digital systems can cause velocity errors that can be objectionable in systems with low-resolution encoders. Special interpolation routines can overcome quantization difficulties by factoring in motor behavior when managing velocity feedback.

		Real-Time Operating Systems Are Critical for Deterministic Control - 08/20/09 Control Design, August 2009 By Mike Bacidore Real-time operating systems are required when a machine must respond to events in a predictable manner. There is no hard rule for the duration of the response time since the amount of time will vary by the type of system.

		Software License Should Be Included in Hardware Price - 08/20/09 Control Design, August 2009 By TJ McDermott, Formost Fuji You major automation companies out there should take a page from the smaller ones. Your efforts to protect your software are poorly executed, interfere with my ability to do my job and reflect poorly on what is important, which is the programming software.

		Pharmaceutical Industry Confronts Data, Change, Culture - 08/20/09 Automation World, August 2009 By C. Kenna Amos Coping with cultural change in pharmaceuticals means overcoming the challenge of how companies configure automation systems.

		The application of IEEE 1588 to industrial automation - 08/16/09 What’s New in Process Technology, August 2009 By Ken Harris The IEEE 1588 standard provides a time-based control solution that can be easily adopted by the industrial control industry to distribute precision time for time-based control on the factory floor.

		Concepts for secure safety gate monitoring - 08/16/09 Process & Control Engineering, August 2009 By Frank Schrever, Pilz Automation Choosing the right safety guard sensor for your requirement is imperative to machine safety in the plant.

		Safe Position Measuring - 08/14/09 Control Engineering, August 2009 By Thilo Schlicksbier, Heidenhain Stringent safety requirements, particularly as defined in the new EN ISO 13849 standard, call for position encoders with entirely new solutions for safety-related applications.

		Safe Automation - 08/14/09 Control Engineering, August 2009 By Armin Glaser, Pilz Automation The trend is moving away from exclusively centralized control structures toward decentralized, independent cell automation and the mechatronic, modular approach that this enables. However, networking several control systems must not increase the level of complexity.

		Why more decision-making data is flowing to engineers - 08/14/09 Control Engineering, August 2009 By David Greenfield The trend in manufacturing information technology has been to push plant floor data up into the enterprise systems for better decision making by corporate executives. Now, companies are having it also flow back down to the plant floor for real-time decision making by the plant floor operators and engineers

		Laser Scanners for Work Cell Safety - 08/14/09 Control Engineering, August 2009 By Brad Raven, Sick Safety Systems Using safety laser scanners to prevent access to the area where the dangerous motion is located, and preventing the start-up of the dangerous motion using sensors.

		Technology & Engineers Celebrated at NIWeek 2009 Dr. James Truchard opened the conference by describing National Instruments' technical directions and thanking attendees for taking on new challenges by innovating and solving problems. NIWeek 2009 attendance was up over last year and that alone is a significant statement compared with other conferences this year. It was billed as the Worldwide Graphical System Design conference providing three days of over 200 interactive technical sessions, exhibitions, and hands-on workshops on the technologies for control, design, measurement, automation, manufacturing, and test.

		Return on Imagination - Honeywell User Group (HUG) 2009 Honeywell Process Solutions continues to grow in a number of dimensions including: additional products, wireless, energy, PLCs, independent system integrator initiatives, and Integrated Master Automation Contractor (IMAC) focus. This year’s attendance was lower than previous years, but David Wade, Honeywell Users Group Americas Chairman, officially opened the HUG 2009 conference commenting that there were more than 50% new attendees.

		Beyond alarm management: Improving operator effectiveness - 07/19/09 Plant Engineering, July 2009 By Diego Izarra, Invensys Process Systems A properly rationalized and accessible alarm database not only improves operator effectiveness, it also has a significant impact on maintaining corporate goals for health and safety, environmental sustainability and financial performance.

		Remote service reduces maintenance costs - 07/19/09 Plant Engineering, July 2009 By John W. DuBay, ABB Remote service provides you with a cost effective way to keep your plant running at peak performance, for a fraction of the cost of traditional approaches.

		The Basics of Electromagnetic Clutches and Brakes - 07/15/09 Machine Design, July 2009 By Frank Flemming, Ogura Industrial Electromagnetic clutches and brakes are electrically activated but transmit torque mechanically. Engagement time depends on magnetic field strength, air gap, and inertia.

		Wireless Sensor Connections - 07/15/09 Machine Design, July 2009 Replace slip rings with a wireless inductive system that transfers power and data signals from the primary system side across an air gap to a movable secondary side to eliminate wires between fixed and moving pieces.

		Ease of Programming Isn't the Only Benefit of PC-Based Control - 07/15/09 Control Design, July 2009 By Mike Bacidore More than just a rugged face: ruggedized industrial pcs offer a variety of advantages for machine control.

		Fixed-Price Projects - 07/15/09 Control, July 2009 By Dan Hebert On fixed-price projects, total cost is known up-front because the bidder makes schedule and performance commitments. But getting firm fixed-price bids is not easy, especially for smaller multi-discipline projects.

		2009 International Robots, Vision & Motion Control Show The combination of more agile robots, vision systems, and the integration of robot and vision recognition software is creating some very "intelligent" robots. These capabilities are expanding the type and number of applications possible. After talking with various vendors, I believe the economic downturn, particularly in the automotive industry, forced them to think "out of the box," about other applications.

		Service Oriented Architecture and its Impact on Automation - 07/14/09 Control Engineering, July 2009 By Dennis Brandl Service oriented architecture (SOA)—everyone seems to be talking about, teaching, selling, or implementing it, but there is also a lot of confusion about what it really is. This article is a guide to understanding what it is, how it works, and how it applies to manufacturing-related applications.

		PCs and PLCs Have Grown Up - 06/24/09 Control Design, June 2009 By Gregory Kempfer In the past decade, PLCs evolved such that they can perform the same functions as the PCs, and the PCs have become more rugged. The advent of soft logic-type programming for PCs virtually eliminated the need for specialized custom programming for most industrial control applications.

		Relays Yield More Programmable Machine Control Options - 06/24/09 Control Design, June 2009 Relays might seem to be in retreat for all but the most basic control applications in the face of seemingly relentless PLC advances. Instead, relays actually are adding capabilities and encroaching into control territory formerly occupied by PLCs

		Asset performance management: improving process productivity - 06/24/09 European Process Engineer, June 2009 Plant operators face ever greater challenges due to the increasing level of automation, rising diversification in product structures and the growing trend towards integrated industrial assets.

		Is Automation Right for Your Welding Operations? - 06/20/09 Robotics On Line, June 2009 By Kevin Summers, Miller Electric Many manufacturers believe that converting their semi-automatic welding processes to a fast, productive, fully automated process is simply a matter of deciding to do it and then applying the money and time to make it happen. Like most things in life, however, it’s just not that simple.

		Business Performance Management -- The New Operational Strategy - 06/20/09 Manufacturing.Net, June 2009 By Thomas Silvestri, Opus Global Group Business performance management -- the measurement and implementation of the most successful operational standard or strategy available in an industry -- can be one of the most effective tools for increasing a corporation's efficiency, productivity, and, ultimately, earnings.

		Conflicting Signals - 06/20/09 Managing Automation, June 2009 By Chris Chiappinelli Wireless sensors could deliver widespread value to manufacturers, if only vendors could agree on how they should be deployed within a networked context.

		Machine guard fastening and the new Directive - 06/20/09 Design Products & Applications, June 2009 By John Snyder Within the European Union, the new Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, which becomes effective on December 29, 2009, is part of an approach to harmonise standards and establish the regulatory foundation for health and safety requirements of machinery throughout that market.

		The Future of Workflow Is Automated Knowledge - 06/20/09 Automation World, June 2009 By Rob Spiegel In the not-too-distant future, workflow structures may carry the knowledge that typically lives in the brains of long-time plant operations staff.

		Workflow Automation Is Ready To Change Plant Operations - 06/20/09 Automation World, June 2009 By Rob Spiegel Plants are discovering workflow tools are a handy way to turn operator knowledge into repeatable processes. In doing so, plants are creating best-practice templates that can be fine-tuned for efficiency and implemented from plant to plant.

		Contracting for services? Qualifications should come first - 06/16/09 Control Engineering, June 2008 By Vance VanDoren and Ron Brenke Selecting a controls engineering partner on price alone can cost you plenty. Here’s how the qualifications-based selection (QBS) process can work for you.

		Kinematics Equations for Control of Robotic Systems - 06/16/09 Control Engineering, June 2008 By Jason Goerges, ACS Motion Control Kinematic equations relate the Cartesian coordinate system to a crane’s spherical coordinate system. These equations also allow modern motion controllers to perform the calculations necessary for the smooth control of robotics.

		Uptime and the new age of safety control - 06/16/09 What’s New in Process Technology, June 2009 By Gary Milburn, Rockwell Automation Unleashed by new safety standards that embrace the latest microprocessor technologies, modern safety control systems are now intricately tied to how the plant operates — not only optimising worker safety, but improving productivity and uptime.

		Training with dynamic simulation - 06/16/09 PACE, May 2009 By Neil Freeman Dynamic process simulators can take the safety onus off mining plant operators.

		Protecting Critical Machinery - the value of a complete solution Maintenance On Line, May 2009 By Dave Gill, Emerson Process Management Online vibration monitoring integrated with process control and combined with shutdown protection, predictive maintenance and performance monitoring is a sure-fire way to keep your rotating equipment up and generating revenue.

		Early bearing failure detection Maintenance World, April 2009 Bearing failure is one of the foremost causes of breakdowns in rotating machinery and such failure can be catastrophic, resulting in costly downtime. One of the key issues in bearing prognostics is to detect the defect at its incipient stage and alert the operator before it develops into a catastrophic failure.

		New Market for Machine Builders Control Design, May 2009 By Dan Hebert When it comes to applying, controlling and automating hydraulic systems in machines, the main experts are not suppliers, but are instead machine builders. And after all, a motor vehicle is nothing more than a machine, albeit a very sophisticated one, so it seems that machine builders should be at the forefront of this new industry.

		Product Briefs from Hannover Messe By Bill Lydon Over 6,000 companies showed products at Hannover Messe and there are important trends that are worth noting. Here are highlights of some products that caught my interest - some due to functional sophistication and others because of their elegant simplicity.

		Changing Safety Standards Complicate Life for Manufacturers Automation World, May 2009 By Alex Anderson There is more to becoming compliant with safety standards than simply writing a request for proposal (RFP) and hiring a vendor. One of the greatest challenges with implementing safety standards in your production facility is simply knowing which standards apply to you and how.

		Choose The Right One! Industrial Automation Asia, May 2009 By Michael Liedhegener, Bosch Rexroth Machine builders and factory operators may have misconceptions about hydraulic-based motion. Although valued for its ability to move heavy loads, it has not been thought of as exceptionally precise, or able to support multi-axis applications. The advent of closed-loop electrohydraulic motion controllers has changed the equation.

		A Critical Look at Acme, Ball, and Roller Screws for Linear Motion Machine Design, May 2009 By Igor Gilkin, Tolomatic Three primary types of screws are used for linear-motion actuators: Acme, ball, and roller. The differences are in thread shape and the design and operation of the matching nut. But which type of screw best suits your application? Here’s a concise look at all three.

		Choosing the Best Lead Screw for a Linear Motion Application Machine Design, May 2009 By Igor Gilkin, Tolomatic Before engineers can specify the type and size of leadscrew needed for a linear-motion application, they must understand the demands of that the job. These include thrust, speed, accuracy, repeatability, and resolution.

		Here Come Low-Power Encoders Machine Design, May 2009 By Leland Teschler Alternatives to traditional optical encoders are getting attention. One device in this category is the capacitive position encoder. Capacitive encoders now on the market operate down to 3.6 V — an advantage when operating from batteries — and draw only about 7 mA. In addition, they can be advantageous where the presence of dirt, mist, or other contamination render optical encoders unreliable.

		The Power of Real Time Intelligence Control Engineering, May 2009 By Frank O Smith Real time control is not just for the factory floor. It has begun to appeal to enterprise management wanting to gain competitive advantage. While very few organizations are there yet, the ones who are have the capacity to do things that have never been done before.

		Time-proportional control: more from an on/off switch Control Engineering, May 2009 By Vance VanDoren Time-proportional control, a form of pulse-width modulation, is a mathematical technique that allows a feedback controller to use an on/off or discrete actuator as if it were a continuous actuator capable of generating control efforts anywhere between 0% and 100%.

		Successful system integration in a recession: 10 tips Control Engineering, May 2009 By Dan Walser, Applied Motion Systems An economic recession may be the perfect time to upgrade plants and plan for recovery. While the sales staff works on finding new business, operations and design staff can retrofit existing machines. Here are 10 steps to success for wisely using a system integrator to help with the hard stuff.

		Smart Drives Protect Their Motors Control Engineering, May 2009 By Renee Robbins Motion control systems get a predictive maintenance boost from intelligent drive electronics that perform like human nervous system reflexes.

		Investment decisions are not automatic in tough market Control Engineering, May 2009 By John Kalkowski Despite evidence that automation can lower their labor costs and help them gain a competitive edge, most packagers are delaying decisions to purchase automated equipment during the current recession.

		Balancing energy use, production capabilities Control Engineering, May 2009 By Jeanine Katzel Packaging machinery OEMs need to find a way to set themselves apart to succeed, and one way may be with attention to energy efficiency. Optimizing seemingly conflicting goals like energy use and production output requires a focus on the total machine and its components, especially motors.

		Securing industrial control systems against threat of cyber infection Asia-Pacific Engineer, April 2009 By Alistair Rae We are all aware of the need to protect desktop computers from viruses and other malware, but what about industrial systems? These are generally less well protected, yet a malicious attack or an infection with malware can have devastating results. Fortunately there are ways to reduce the risks.

		EDDL & FDT, Competing or Complementary? Automation World, April 2009 By Rob Spiegel EDDL (Electronic Device Description Language) and FDT/DTM (Field Device Tool/Device Type Manager) are both designed to interpret intelligence from fieldbus devices. But that’s where the similarity ends. Each technology comes with its own history, its own place in the world of standards and its own manner of reading and displaying device intelligence.

		Open Systems—HMIs and Up Control Design, April 2009 By Dan Hebert It’s now often feasible for a machine or robot builder OEM to offer its customers connectivity between the machine or robot and higher-level computing systems via an HMI. This is a big change from the daunting connectivity complexity that existed just a few years ago.

		Handheld OI Grabs Machine Control Control Design, April 2009 By Philip Burgert While diagnostics and troubleshooting continue to be a major task for handheld human-machine interface devices, the operator interfaces also are finding wider applications ranging from robotic machine assembly controls in semiconductor and automotive manufacturing to integration of teaching pendants and logistics in distribution centers.

		FPGAs Turbocharge Control Design Control Design, April 2009 By Stuart McFarlane, Viewpoint Systems A field-programmable gate array (FPGA) is a programmable logic device capable of supporting thousands of gates. Some engineers already use FPGAs to design controls. Others have heard of FPGAs but haven’t considered using them. Every so often, it’s good to look up from what you’re doing and see what’s going on. So, first question: Why use FPGAs in the first place?

		Micro-manufacturing now offers advantages for specialist processes European Design Engineer, April 2009 By Alistair Rae Over the past few years a new industry has developed to serve the growing demand for micro-manufacturing. While miniaturisation has been ongoing since the commercialisation of the transistor some 50 years ago, it is only recently that it has been viable to manufacture high volumes of mechanical and electromechanical components with features in the sub-millimetre range.

		Diamonds Are Forever, So is Real-Time Data By Thomas R. Cutler Software products make it easy for jewelry organizations, large or small, to acquire process data from any source, analyze that data in real-time, and instantly notify process owners of variation.

		No Wild West wireless InTech, April 2009 By Ellen Fussell Policastro Automotive manufacturers want wireless standard that meets their special requirements, not those of a process world. The specific requirements for discrete parts manufacturing screams for standards writers to take another look at the ISA100.11a standard, which so far is process heavy.

		The benefits of automatically controlling minerals processing plants PACE, March 2009 By Damian Connelly The need for automatic control of mineral processing plants requires continuous accurate measurement of process streams and can result in increased productivity, improved metal recovery, improved concentrate grades, reduced operating costs and lower product variability.

		Machinery safety and the need to save money HazardEx, March 2009 By Pilz Given the state of the economy, it is understandable that everyone has to be more careful with their budgets than ever before. But engineers should beware of trying to save money by buying cheaper safety-related products, as it could cost them dear in the long run.

		Tomorrow has not been canceled! Report from ABB Automation & Power World 2009 Mark Taft, Group Vice President, Process Automation, Global control System Business opened with, "...it is important for us to remember that tomorrow has not been canceled." Mark's point was the conference was designed to provide a great deal of useful and actionable information that will help attendees survive and thrive in the current economy, and be prepared to take advantage of the future. Mark further noted that having a combined event encompassing automation and power is timely.

		Heavy-Duty Encoders for Harsh Environments Sensors, February 2009 By Greg Bova and Nick Toleos, Baumer This article concentrates on heavy-duty encoders: the engineering principals behind their operation and how the technology used ensures their long-term survival under extremely challenging conditions. Real-world examples will illustrate their use and benefits.

		C&I engineering tools: Part 2 - Compliance and lifecycle costs South Africa Instrumentation & Control, March 2009 By Andrew Ashton Part 1 of this article looked at collaboration and standards. Part 2 looks at resources to improve compliance and to manage lifecycle costs in automation and control:

		Component object-based supervisory systems What’s New in Process Technology, March 2009 By Steve Garbrecht, Wonderware There are several fundamental differences between component object-based and traditional tag-based human machine interface (HMI) and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) products. This article explains the differences between the two methodologies and shows that significant savings in development can be achieved with a component object-based SCADA product, and explains how to calculate the savings.

		Boosting confidence with cybersecurity certification Asia-Pacific Engineer, March 2009 By Sean Ottewell With national governments around the world pushing for increased security and users also seeking reassurance, it's no surprise that many of the major control and automation equipment manufacturers are putting their products through cybercertification regimes.

		Green energy demands help drive control and automation Asia-Pacific Engineer, March 2009 By Sean Ottewell World energy demand is expected to reach the equivalent of more than 10trillion tons of crude oil by 2010. Clearly, process automation will be one of the enablers of realising this growth in the most efficient and energy responsible way possible. Innovative technologies and solutions are important to meeting the global demands, and to enable new sources of energy to become economically feasible.

		How to Select a Rotary actuator Assembly, March 2009 Rotary actuators are standard engineered components used in automation applications to increase system flexibility by adding an axis of rotation. They are primarily used to orient parts in application segments such as machine tending and assembly. Here’s how to spec one.

		Specify Multi-functioning End-of-Arm Tooling for Robotic Workcells Assembly, March 2009 Today’s robotic work cells are increasingly becoming more complex. From de-molding to assembly and packaging, the robot is being asked to do more—and much of this falls on the end-of-arm tooling (also called EOAT or end effecter). A custom tool has the ability to increase functionality and repeatability as well as allow for a higher percentage of automation function within the cell—when planned accordingly.

		The Role of Robotics in Flexible Manufacturing Assembly, March 2009 By Austin Weber When most engineers think about “flexibility,” they imagine robots. Because of programmable controls, end-of-arm tooling and machine vision systems, the devices can perform a wide variety of repeatable tasks.

		Efficiency Cuts Cost of Electric Motor Operation Control Design, March 2009 By Phil Burgert Manufacturing requirements and energy consumption don’t have to compete with each other. Electric motors used in industrial equipment are increasingly efficient, and the factors that go into designing these energy-efficient motors include frequency of starting and stopping, rare earth and other permanent-magnet materials, torque density and size, and control techniques.

		Battle Royal for Machining Center Control Control Design, March 2009 By Jim Romeo Where is CNC control architecture heading? Opinions differ. Some believe there is a clear trend in integrating advanced control into CNC machining. While CNC may still be the dominant choice, the use of PLCs, PACs and PC-based controls is becoming an increasingly visible consideration, often due to the need to integrate the machining center with other systems.

		Press Automation Systems Increase Flexibility for Manufacturers IEN, March 2009 By ABB No longer the exclusive domain of automotive manufacturers, sophisticated Press Automation Systems are now becoming an emerging competitive advantage for a wide variety of manufacturers who stamp moderate to high volumes of metal as part of their production processes.

		Selecting DC Brush and Brushless Motors Machine Design, February 2009 By Urs Kafader, Maxon Precision Motors Motor selection can be complicated. The decisions to be made include whether to employ brushless or brushed dc, or stepper motors. Stepper motors are generally considered specialpurpose devices because they can’t handle large inertial loads very well. And operation near their maximum torque ratings can take some finesse.

		Doing safety the right way lifts productivity too PACE, March 2009 Safety measures that are worked into the very design of the manufacturing plant rather than as an after-thought actually boost productivity. The best safety systems make work easier (and lines more efficient) at every stage from project planning through to operation and maintenance.

		Machinery safety and the need to save money PACE, March 2009 It can be a false economy - or potentially dangerous - to try saving money on safety systems, yet careful design can reap rewards. Engineers should be aware of trying to save money by buying cheaper safety-related products, as it could cost them dearly in the long run.

		Winning Strategies and Best Practices for Sustainable Manufacturing By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor The initial focus of the ARC Forum in Orlando was sustainable manufacturing strategies as they relate to environmental performance and resource management. Based on the recent economic downturn, the conference was expanded to address strategies for bottom line business sustainability of process and discrete manufacturing companies.

		Video: The Next Sensor Control Engineering Asia, January 2009 By John Curtis, Longwatch With hardware, software and communications problems solved, intriguing questions come up: Why not use video to monitor process control and automation systems? Why can’t video be another sensor? Why not use video to allow operators to see what is happening in the plant? Answer: Nobody is doing any of this, but it is certainly possible.

		Safety Adds Complexity and Function Control Design, February 2009 By Phil Burgert Occupational safety requirements, increased demands for flexibility, diagnostics and Ethernet-based safety are driving use of safety relays and programmable safety controllers while providing machine builders with options.

		Choose Drives for Speed, Accuracy Control Design, February 2009 By Phil Burgert Electronic drive options for discrete manufacturing present a number of choices, with speed, accuracy and control of multiple motors among factors that should be considered.

		COM Express Can Up Performance Control Design, February 2009 By Dan Hebert The natural progression of controllers and computers is one of shrinking size, increased performance and lower costs. For embedded machine control applications, this progression is perhaps best expressed by the computer-on-module (COM) trend, and more specifically by the COM Express specification.

		How to Trust Your Integrator–Part II Control Design, February 2009 By Ed Diehl The CSIA certification process goes a long way toward reassuring a potential user that it’s found a dependable partner

		Real-time digital power control increases system efficiency Industrial Embedded Systems, January 2009 By Keith Ogboenyiya and Zhen Yu, Texas Instruments Digital power electronics, or the control of power supplies via programmable embedded processor technology, can bring substantial savings to various applications including industrial motors, rectifiers, power supplies, and more.

		Changing the embedded development model with Microsoft .NET Micro Framework Industrial Embedded Systems, January 2009 By Mike Rohrmoser, Digi International Microsoft .NET programming in a much lighter, more embedded environment coupled with an embedded microcontroller sounds too good to be true, but it's possible now, thanks to a small .NET platform well-suited for next-generation devices.

		Coupling Motion Systems for Zero Backlash Machine Design, February 2009 By Alex Ruland and Robert Watkins, Ruland Mfg Machine-vision and optical-inspection systems demand precise motion control, and this requires precision components. One often overlooked but important component is the zerobacklash coupling that connects a motor to a linear stage.

		Precision machining for performance racing American Machinist, February 2009 By Larry Haftl In machining for performance auto racing, production runs are usually less than 20 parts, and often only one or two parts, but the need for precision, close adherence to engineering design intent, is as demanding as any general machining ever gets.

		Five-axis Accuracy - 02/24/09 American Machinist, February 2009 By James Benes The usual methods to determine 5-axis deviations require a considerable measurement effort. However, a measurement system has been developed that accurately determines the location of a rotary axis: The “R-test,” which uses a measuring head in combination with a precision ball.

		Talking Down to Machines Automation World, February 2009 By Dave Gehman What happens when top-down automation data reaches a machine controller—does it go any further? And, what happens when bottom-up data generated by the machine controller tries to move upward, past the machine controller into the automation system?

		Home Runs—Bad, When It’s Not Baseball Automation World, February 2009 By Dave Gehman A microcosm of the issues involved in tying together machines and their controllers with automation networks can be found in dedicated machine clusters, such as transfer machines in discrete manufacturing. Orchestrating dozens or hundreds of components from a range of suppliers usually takes a combination of intense engineering and brute-force controller strategies.

		Assembly Line Control and Sequencing: Make or Buy? Automation World, February 2009 By Ralph Rio Today, being competitive and growing the business demands product variety. A second trend is reducing set-up so the line is easier to change over. This helps manufacturers move to assemble-to-order (ATO) and eliminate finished goods inventory. A third trend is just-in-time (JIT) inventory management. These trends are driving the development of advanced software applications that can manage the complexity.

		State-of-the-art Control Rooms Control Engineering, February 2009 By Renee M. Robbins Contemporary control rooms show how technology and design are combining to help users—not just machines—operate at peak efficiency.

		Visual Robots - Peek into the Future of Material Handling By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor At ProMat 2009, Seegrid Corporation provided a peek into the future capabilities that advanced technology will deliver to material handling with its GP8 robotic pallet truck. Seegrid robots use no lasers, tape or wires and Seegrid terms the learning process, WalkThroughThenWork™, set up is one walk through your facility and the machines are ready to work in minutes.

		ProMat 2009 Focuses on Speed, Automation, & Efficiency for Success Vendors displaying at the ProMat 2009 show focused on speed, automation, and efficiency to be successful in a tough economic environment. ProMat 2009 was physically smaller than 2007 but relatively busy considering the state of the economy. Bill Lydon reviews the show and highlights a number of new product designed for automated material handling and warehouse automation. The conference also featured over 100 educational sessions.

		Control System Migration Control, January 2009 By Nigel James Control system migration projects go better with best practices. This is not a place you want to be flying by the seat of your pants. The article offers a guideline for consistent and accurate planning and execution of control system migration projects.

		Energy Management: First Steps Toward Greater Efficiency Control Engineering, January 2009 By David Greenfield Article series provides specific examples of how engineers can identify and address --at relatively little or no cost --the principal sources of energy waste in their production facilities. Part one focuses on facility and machine power use and motors and drives.

		Hybrid approach to system design Control Engineering, January 2009 By C.G. Masi The age-old debate among system designers and their managers is whether to use top-down or bottom-up design techniques. Experience shows that a hybrid approach works best.

		Control Systems and Cyber Security Control Engineering Europe, December 2008 By Karl Williams, Invensys Process Systems The security threats and vulnerabilities we see today are wide ranging, often complex, and are not always well understood, particularly what impact if any they may have on an individual system, part of a system, or production facility itself.

		Optimizing plant alarm systems without compromising personnel safety, equipment protection, and plant security Energy Tech, December 2008 By Joseph A. Macdonald Implementing an effective alarm management program begins with consolidating a plant’s aging analogue plant controls into a single, modern digital control system that includes coordinated control of turbines, burners, plant logic, scrubbers, data acquisition, and performance monitoring.

		Find the low hanging fruit in your plant and automate Advanced Manufacturing, December 2008 By Chris Stergiou Identification of opportunities to automate is a high impact manufacturing activity that has the transformative effect of clearing bottlenecks and can change the basic manufacturing cost structure and improve overall profitability.

		Software Tips From the 10 Best Shops American Machinist, November 2008 By Larry Haftl All of the shop managers surveyed recognize the critical role that computer software has in making their operations successful, all incorporate the power of computer software into a program of continued productivity improvement, and have taken care in choosing and software that is appropriate for their operations.

		Modular System Ensures Robot Safety Assembly, November 2008 Flashlight manufacturer SureFire LLC is uses robots to assemble its products with a full battery of safety devices in each of its workcells to ensure a robot never injures one of its employees. Equipment includes PNOZmulti system from safety equipment manufacturer Pilz Automation Safety LP.

		Flexible Robotic Cabling Supports Higher Performance Automation World, December 2008 By C. Kenna Amos Unless you’re an end-user of robots, cabling may mean nothing to you. If you are that end-user, though, and don’t manage those cables correctly, you tie up those mechanical workers and their arms, defeating their efforts.

		Rockwell Automation Fair 2008 Review By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor As usual, the Rockwell Automation Fair was an impressive event with over 11,000 attendees and over 90 Encompass partners. This is a very successful show that creates enormous goodwill and is the most successful control show in North America. Training is becoming a big part of the event and allows users to justify the time and money to attend. Distributor travel packages also make it much easier for users to attend the event.

		Wireless & Networking Dominate ISA EXPO 2008, Product Highlights The emphasis on networked communications whether wired or wireless was visible at the event. We review the ISA Wireless Industrial Automation Standard (SP100) Committee meeting in Houston, which drew a standing-room-only crowd. Other product highlights include: PLC/Programming Learning Package, EtherNet/IP Controller, Single Board Industrial Controller, Remote Eyeballs for Wireless Reading Gauges, Quad Process Safety System, Universal Gas Transmitter and HMI Enhancements.

		Choosing a machine control architecture Control Engineering Europe, November 2008 An important step in machine control systems is the use of prefabricated, self-contained modules during the creation of control programs. To accomplish this, machine builders are using function blocks from IEC 61131-3 programming languages. Using standardized software decreases engineering time.

		The Lean Advantage Control Engineering Asia, November 2008 By Filippo Focacci and David Simchi-Levi There are fewer applications of lean manufacturing in the process and hybrid industries, in part because there is not a natural fit between lean and these industries, and in part because manufacturing processes in these industries tend to be very complex. Indeed, it is difficult to adapt lean manufacturing strategies that have been implemented in discrete manufacturing to the process and hybrid industries.

		The Adaptive Approach Control Engineering Asia, November 2008 By Peter Dickin Capable of providing a real boost to manufacturing productivity, adaptive machining techniques use in-process measurement to close information gaps in the process chain.

		The power of integrated motion control Process On-Line, October 2008 Integrated motion control solutions can be implemented into machine designs to reduce the size, cost and complexity of a machine. Industry demand for smaller, less expensive and more flexible machines is only going to increase. Integrated motion control is a solution that is transforming machine design practices.

		How does automation fit in and work with Lean manufacturing? Advanced Manufacturing, October 2008 By Chris Stergiou Lean manufacturing increases capacity by eliminating waste in labour, motion and processing. Capacity is also increased as the result of fewer defects and one way this is accomplished is through automation or Jidoka, also known as Autonomation.

		Condition Monitoring Pays Healthy Dividends Chemical Processing, November 2008 By Johan De Wever, BASF BASF’s Antwerp complex decided to implement predictive maintenance based on monitoring the condition of key assets. We periodically take vibration measurements on some 3,000 machines throughout the facility. Moving from time-based maintenance to this approach has resulted in significant cost savings because fewer unexpected equipment breakdowns occur.

		Using photoelectric sensors on the production line Plant Engineering, November 2008 By Greg Knutson, Banner Engineering Photoelectrics now deliver big performance in smaller packages, thanks to electronic miniaturization. Not only are today’s compact photoelectric sensors simpler to mount and implement in a wider range of applications, they are often available at a lower cost.

		Control system mounting options Control Engineering, November 2008 By Michael Thompson, Timken Mounting options can be broken down into several basic categories: wall-mount, rail-mount, panel-mount, rack-mount, or cage-mount. Each type of mounting has unique attributes that designers must consider.

		Industrial Machining Embraces Nano Positioning Control Engineering, November 2008 By C.G. Masi Today, advances in automated machining allow tolerances to reach below one micron (1 mm). that’s 0.00004 in! Conventional measurement techniques become physically impossible. Actuators relying on fine-pitch precision ballscrews simply can’t do the job. These are real concerns for growing numbers of engineers, as some applications already require holding positions to a tenth of a nanometer.

		Do PLCs Eliminate Need for a DCS? By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor In the past it was fairly easy to determine whether a PLC or a DCS was right for an application but in recent years this has become more difficult. It is argued that more powerful PLC products coupled with new software tools provide an integrated process control system rivaling a distributed control system (DCS) for process control applications.

		Easier Pieces Control Design, October 2008 By Jim Montague Machine builders create modular, interchangeable machine assemblies. Improved software and network connectivity provide the linkage.

		Predictive Maintenance: The Diagnosis For Machinery Health Food Manufacturing, October 2008 By Dave Staples, SKF Reliability Systems Predictive technologies can be implemented to detect developing machinery faults at an early stage. The key to choosing appropriate predictive technologies is to understand how a particular machine fails, what symptoms will be visible and detectable before it fails, and how fast that machine will deteriorate.

		Automation Insights Network By Rick Zabel, Publisher Automation Insights Network is a select group of controls and automation professionals who agree to help us cover news, emerging trends and technologies on various automation topics. Every two months, we will ask people in the Network to share their observations, knowledge and expertise with us. We take that information, distill it, and pass it on to our reporters and editors for use in future stories.

		Industrial Ethernet Growth Slowed by FUD By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor The promise of Industrial Ethernet is clear: it will revolutionize manufacturing by tightly integrating control and business systems, if users can overcome their fear, uncertainty and doubt(FUD). One failure can trigger a cascade of problems and result in a significant loss of time and money. There are many issues surrounding the use of Ethernet in industrial control applications that give control engineers reasons for concern.

		The Business of Wireless Control Engineering Asia, September 2008 By Madanmohan Rao With increasing investment by big players and more momentum in wireless standards, the business case for wire-free industrial solutions is becoming clearer.

		Imaging highlights explosive atmosphere Intech, October 2008 By Edward Naranjo IR gas imaging is an accurate, reliable, and cost-effective solution for detecting large clouds of escaping gas.

		Getting into Discrete Control, September 2008 By Rich Merritt Part 2 of Domino Theory. ISA-88 is moving into discrete automation, too.

		Five Questions to Ask When Designing an M2M System Sensors, September 2008 By Daniel Collins, Jasper Wireless Currently, millions of machines communicate with each other without human intervention and that number is set to grow. If you're designing an M2M system, here are five questions to ask yourself to ensure a successful outcome.

		How Much Safety Is Enough? Control Design, September 2008 Q: How do we decide exactly what level of safety is appropriate for our custom machinery? Answers by several experts, including Pilz, B&R, Banner and more.

		Give new life to old equipment and improve performance with little outlay Advanced Manufacturing, August 2008 Every plant has one, a troublesome automated system that’s been around forever. This situation presents a dilemma: how to get more reliability and uptime from this obsolete system without investing huge amounts of money?

		ISA - Change the name to represent the industry By Rick Zabel, Automation.com The proposed name change of ISA (to "International Society of Automation") is up for a vote again during ISA Expo in Houston, October 14-16, 2008. Last year, the change was voted down, but I have yet to hear a compelling argument against the change. And there are many reasons for the change. If ISA is truly the global society of automation professionals, then its name should reflect its cause. It's time for a change!

		Prototyping of the Virtual Type Control Design, September 2008 By Don Talend Simulation tools give controls engineers opportunities to get involved in the product design process from its origin and to test machinery virtually so it becomes operational faster.

		Smart Cameras Resolve Control Issues Control Engineering, September 2008 By C.G. Masi Speedy data reduction is only one benefit of increasingly advanced machine vision technology. Smart system integrators are applying that technology in more and better ways.

		Industrial Robots with Image Processing in the Photovoltaic Industry By Adept Technology Using industrial robots in photovoltaic processing brings shorter processing times, lower wage costs, less breakage and therefore higher cost effectiveness. In recent years most manufacturers who have invested in this technology have done so with great success.

		PROFIBUS hits new highs, PROFINET to follow? By Bill Lydon, Contributing Editor This year's PTO General Assembly Meeting again was attended by an enthusiastic group of users, suppliers, and distributors that apply PROFIBUS and PROFINET technology. Michael Bryant, Executive Director, was master of ceremonies and forecasted PROFINET will be the leading Ethernet Technology for automation applications.

		The winds of change bring automation opportunities By Rick Zabel Maybe it's because oil, natural gas and propane prices are so high. Maybe it's because it's an election year. Whatever the reason, it's about time we see more activity - in Wind.

		Artificial Intelligence: Not Just Science Fiction Industrial Automation Asia, September 2008 By Augustine Quek Artificial intelligence can be defined as ‘the study and design of systems that perceive its environment and takes actions which maximises its chances of success.’ Not surprisingly, automation and manufacturing processes have taken advantage of AI technology to improve productivity as the industry becomes increasingly competitive.

		Machine safety pays off Plant Engineering, August 2008 By J.B. Titus, Siemens Energy & Automation From the most sophisticated manufacturing operation to the simplest relay-based system, machine manufacturers and end users now have economical and effective choices to enhance machine safety. If a manufacturer's downtime costs $10,000 an hour, it does not take long to justify a low-cost, integrated system that saves time and increases uptime.

		Architectures for Economical Motion Machine Design, August 2008 By Chuck Lewin , Performance Motion Devices Motion-control costs have more to do with what’s needed to hook up components than with the motor and controller. Too many connectors or the wrong style connector means more failures, higher manufacturing costs, and potential servicing headaches.

		Resolution Resolved Machine Design, August 2008 By Scott Schmidt, Aerotech Surprise! There’s no guarantee a stage can make moves on the order of its resolution specs. The minimum incremental move is often far different than system resolution. The true minimum incremental move is the smallest move the stage can consistently and reliably deliver. It is often defined by some value of uniformity in step size.

		Shifting safety responsibilities Control Engineering, August 2008 By David Greenfield A new ANSI standard will move certain safety responsibilities from employers to OEMs and machine tool providers. Packaging OEMs are already responding.

		Plays well with others InTech, August 2008 By Ellen Fussell Policastro With the convergence of people and expertise comes technological convergence as well—all cascading into a new form of automation where the lines between engineering and IT are becoming more blurred. The key is learning just how to meld the two for the greatest manufacturing success.

		When did you last inspect your safety light curtains? What’s New in Process Technology, July 2008 While safety light curtains may appear to be fit-and-forget devices, with no moving or contacting parts to wear, most suppliers state in their documentation that light curtains should be inspected regularly. In this context, 'regularly' is normally interpreted as 'annually'.

		Evaluating a CAM Package Machine Design, July 2008 By Larry Haftl CAM packages offer software designed to turn a part design into toolpaths and G-code that can be used to machine that part. Most of the software products offered are sophisticated, mature products that are used by thousands. Even though all of the software is designed to do the same thing, the approaches that the packages take are unique.

		Specifying Linear Motion Systems Assembly, August 2008 By Danielle Collins When sizing and selecting linear motion systems for assembly machines, engineers often overlook critical application requirements. This can lead to costly redesigns and rework. Worse yet, it can result in an overengineered system that is more costly and less effective than desired.

		Rebuild or Buy New? Control Design, August 2008 By Mark Lamendola The three principal types of rebuild projects are, from least scope to greatest, an automation upgrade, a recondition/rebuild and repurposing an existing machine. Rebuilding can be an obvious alternative to buying a new machine, particularly if the need to physically replace the old one isn’t clear cut.

		Global Market Compliance: A Local Approach Eases a Complicated Process By Udo Heinz & Sky Mehringer, TÜVRheinland Helping a product achieve global compliance for safety, EMC, documentation, testing and certification is a complicated and time-intensive process. To place a product in other countries, manufacturers must maneuver a complicated maze of compliance requirements.

		State of Manufacturing & Automation in the U.S. Looks Good Could it be that high fuel prices, the weak dollar and crises in the U.S. manufacturing industry are creating opportunities? Andy Chatha of ARC Advisory Group thinks so. He says the U.S. industry has suddenly become competitive on the world market, and companies are no longer moving operations overseas. Instead, many are expanding their facilities, and he predicts a boom in automation right here in the U.S.

		Keep operations safe Chemical Processing, July 2008 By Angela E. Summers and William H. Hearn, SIS-TECH Solutions Accidents often occur when equipment is improperly designed, installed, operated, tested and maintained. Adequate theory and standards are available to ensure safe operation of process equipment. The problem isn’t bad people and lack of competency — it’s that the systems governing equipment integrity aren’t rigorous enough to ensure the required reliability.

		Selecting an automation systems integrator is about more than cost Advanced Manufacturing, July 2008 By Chris Stergiou Once upon a time, most plants had in-house machine design departments to develop new equipment. Alas, this is no longer the case as manufacturing doctrine is driven by a strategy of outsourcing non-core competencies. This “back to basics” approach means that in-house efforts are geared to product design and development and this has created a manufacturing process knowledge gap as in-house engineers are focused on production

		IT project management in manufacturing: biggest obstacles are time and scope Advanced Manufacturing, July 2008 By Jennifer Colasanti Info-Tech recently completed in-depth research on IT Project Management. Data was collected from 51 manufacturing organizations representing a variety of company sizes. Not a single manufacturer surveyed indicated that they were “very successful” at executing projects on time. Managing scope creep was at the top of the list of challenges.

		Tools Provide Global Collaboration Automation World, July 2008 By Gary Mintchell Managing today’s manufacturing enterprise is impossible without collaboration. Most companies have employees located in facilities around the world who need to work together in real time. New technologies are required to enable widespread collaboration.

		Getting Up the Profit Hill Faster Automation World, July 2008 By Gary Mintchell The complexity of manufacturing demands study and reflection to keep production lines moving. One of the biggest challenges is finding where the problems are that cause reduced output of finished goods. Manufacturers have an array of good tools to help them implement proven operational excellence strategies.

		Don’t Rip Out Your Old Automation Just Yet Automation World, July 2008 By James R. Koelsch Tearing everything out and starting again from scratch is not always an option. Some manufacturers are devising strategies for upgrading their installed automation over time in an orderly way. One example involves PACs.

		Electronic Controls for Mobile Hydraulics Machine Design, July 2008 By Andrew J. Smith and Brian Van Batavia, Eaton Hydraulics The mobile-equipment industry is integrating more electronics with traditional hydraulics to address customer demands for higher performance and greater efficiency, but standard hardware and software are critical for efficient and economical systems.

		Without a Trace Managing Automation, July 2008 By Jeff Moad OEMs are turning over more responsibility for designing, assembling, and even maintaining subsystems to suppliers in the interest of reducing lead times and sharing program risk and cost. At the same time, OEMs are demanding that suppliers provide more — and more up-to-date — information about things like what specific parts are in a given subsystem, when the parts were produced, by whom, under what conditions, and what quality tests were performed on them.

		A Holistic Approach to Safety Automation IEN, July 2008 By Dan Hornbeck, Rockwell Automation Manufacturers are focusing on safety automation solutions that keep their people safe, their machines working, and their bottom lines robust. Thanks to the holistic approach to safety automation – which emphasizes global standards, innovative technologies, trained personnel and ongoing risk assessment, all working together – manufacturers have a best practice template to implement and achieve a high level of safety.

		In a state of flex: specifying the correct continuous flex cable types South Africa Instrumentation & Control, July 2008 Through the use of unique stranding and cabling techniques, and specially blended insulating and jacketing materials, continuous flex cables have reduced downtime on high-speed automated equipment.

		Nesting Heuristics Less Effective than Vision Emulation By Thomas R. Cutler Previously, most nesting algorithms were simple heuristics, and did not consider the alternatives; Vision Emulation combined with Multi-Dimensional-Combinatorial-Nesting technology guarantees the highest efficiency while insuring that production schedule and priorities are optimized.

		Factory Automation: Secret's in the system InTech, July 2008 By Ellen Fussell Policastro If you are packaging pills, building automotive parts, or labeling bottles of soda, you might think your processes do not have to be as secure as a nuclear plant or chemical plant. Think again.

		Accessible automation Process Industry Informer, June 2008 By Nick Brooker, SKF Implementing an effective automation solution has never been easier thanks to the latest generation of electromechanical linear motion technology.

		Loose Lips Sink Assembly Systems Assembly, June 2008 By John Sprovieri To ensure they will be first to market with a hot new product, manufacturers often go to great lengths to protect the secrecy of what they’re assembling and how they’re assembling it. To help their customers maintain a competitive advantage, systems integrators follow a host of standard operating procedures designed to keep secrets under wraps.

		What Happened to all Those 'Flexible' Factories? Assembly, June 2008 By Austin Weber No matter what definition is used or how it is interpreted, it’s beginning to look like the flexible factory concept may be just a myth.

		Measuring Return on Automation Automation World, June 2008 By Gary Mintchell When operations managers and engineers evaluate how to improve manufacturing processes, they often look at implementing new or improved automation systems. They know the operational benefits the system is designed to bring—improved quality, less waste, reduced manpower, increased productivity, faster product changeover and the like. They may not have even thought about the larger financial ramifications to the corporation.

		Getting From Point A to Point B Automation World, June 2008 By C. Kenna Amos Generally, the ability to configure and implement motion-control profiles electronically provides a more powerful and flexible solution than previous mechanical solutions.

		Will This Machine Work? Control Design, June 2008 By Dan Hebert There are many different ways to test and verify that your machine and its automation system will perform as intended prior to final fabrication, installation and commissioning. Includes examples of PC, PLC and PAC-based controls.

		IEC 61131: Part III—The Benefits Control Design, June 2008 By Jeremy Pollard Rockwell, Schneider, Siemens, GE and Wago all have their own programming environments. The business of automation won’t allow for real interoperability of these competing products. The main difference from 20 years ago is that there is some form of commonality. There are some good reasons to use an IEC 61131-based product.

		Know Your Cuts of Cable Control Design, June 2008 By Phil Burgert Ask wire and cable manufacturers about the wiring and cable that’s best for use on machines, as well as in plant networks, and you’ll hear multiple combinations of insulation and jacketing materials, foil and braided shielding and corrugated armor. Using the wrong wire or cable could cause machine or safety problems and potential interference

		Solid-State Relays Enhance Reliability Control Design, June 2008 By Don Talend With the lines between solid-state relay (SSR) and programmable logic controller (PLC) capabilities blurring in recent years, SSR manufacturers see a major role for relays in maintaining equipment functions and reliability.

		Green Technology: More-Efficient Motors Machine Design, June 2008 By Leland Teschler the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 applies to motors made after Dec. 19, 2010. It boosts mandated efficiency levels for motors covered under the old Act and applies standards to seven motor types formerly excluded. Motor makers say this fills a gap in the original legislation.

		Top tips on squelching electrical noise Machine Design, June 2008 By Helge Hornis and Thomas Sebastiany, Pepperl+Fuchs Industrial automation equipment must often perform reliably under some of the harshest conditions imaginable. One of the factors that make industrial conditions harsh is electronic noise pollution. Industrial devices and sensors must operate reliably in a caucophony of electromagnetic emissions both intentional and unintentional.

		Interlocking a matter of safety InTech, June 2008 By Michael Carey A common mistake when designing an automation system is to incorporate too many interlocks. Creating too many interlocks restricts the ability to operate the system when the system goes into abnormal operation.

		Soft starter designs, functions Control Engineering, June 2008 By Mark T. Hoske When a variable speed drive isn’t an option, a soft starter can ease the initial impact of the motor starting and soften the blow when it shuts off. Soft starters are especially useful for conveyors, fans, pumps, and any equipment where starting or stopping at full speed applies too much stress or could damage the product being moved by the machine.

		Living With Safety Testing Control Engineering, June 2008 By Peter Welander While safety testing of instrumentation and control equipment adds cost and time-to-market for vendors, the upside for end users is more important than most realize. Those logos and stickers on all manner of equipment should remind you that much goes into keeping you, your home, and your plant safe.

		Don't judge a supplier by its name By Frank Hurtte, Contributing Author. For those of us who live and breathe the rarified vapors of technology based automation, it's pretty hard to fathom how life existed without electronic automation. Yet, it has been a short 30 years since the venerable PLC became anything more than a novelty outside of the Big 3 in Detroit. Sometime in the late 1970s, microprocessors changed our lives forever. Since those early days, the power of these tiny chips forever changed the way we think about manufacturing.

		Custom Controls Survey - Complimentary assessment, tips and tricks We are conducting a brief survey on custom controls — that is, board-level controllers used in place of standard PLCs or process controls. If you use custom controls in your automation applications, please take a minute to tell us why you use them and what challenges you face. You may be eligible to receive a complimentary controls assessment, plus tips and tricks on how to lower your control costs.

		Regional Manufacturing Expos Prove Most Valuable By Thomas R. Cutler Deciding which conferences, webinars, and expos are worthwhile for manufacturing engineers and buyers to attend often feels like a dangerous yellow brick road, never knowing quite what to expect.

		Hushing Up A Serious Problem: Gaseous Noise Maintenance Technology, May 2008 Uncontrolled noise in process operations is a serious problem. All noise attenuation solutions are not created equal, and no one product will be effective in every situation. It is, therefore, important to understand what is creating noise before attempting to fix the problem.

		M2M: Moving Towards Mainstream Industrial Automation Asia, May 2008 By Augustine Quek M2M most commonly refers to Machine-to-Machine but has sometimes been referred to as Man-to-Machine, Machine-to-Man, Machine-to-Mobile and Mobile-to-Machine. M2M also means Mobile-to-Mobile for wireless telemetry or telemetric technologies. M2M technologies continue to find new applications with ever expanding markets.

		Leverage your automation tools and automate the process — not the parts Advanced Manufacturing, May 2008 By Chris Stergiou Automation of high mix, low volume operations can be achieved by rejecting the notion that it can’t be justified. It’s possible to meet the challenge with creative process automation. By leveraging the knowledge of automation tools and framing this challenge as a goal that is achievable, it becomes a question of how, rather than if.

		Hydraulic Accumulators Boost Machine Speed and Productivity IEN, May 2008 By Ed Godin, Parker Hydraulic Accumulator With a simple piece of hydraulic equipment -- an accumulator -- it is possible to boost speed and productivity without increasing the size of the power unit as long as there is dwell time in the hydraulic circuit.

		The less-is-more approach to six-axis robot design Machine Design, May 2008 By Kenneth Korane The less-is-more approach centers on designing cable-management systems for six-axis robots — including cables, hose, tubing, carrier, and connectors — in three separate segments. This differs from the current industry practice of using long, single-piece cables and hoses rigidly attached to the end-of-arm tooling.

		How to Apply Direct-Drive Linear Servomotors Machine Design, May 2008 There’s a growing demand for smaller linear motors. Manufacturers have developed new direct-drive linear servos in response. Among the first steps in selecting a motor is the definition of a speed profile representing various load movements.

		ABB is powered up and running at high efficiency! By Bill Lydon The products and services shown at ABB Automation World in Houston, Texas along with the enthusiasm of the ABB employees and users would seem to explain why the company’s 1st quarter 2008 earnings beat investment analysts’ consensus by over 40%. The three-day trade show and conference ran from April 29 through May 1 in Houston, Texas. There was a great deal of energy and enthusiasm at the event which showcased ABB products, ABB services, partner products, and over 300 workshops/training sessions.

		Chasing Moore’s Law – The Truth Behind the OS and CPU Upgrades for Industrial PC Users By Alan Koch, Advantech COTS electronic hardware and software have caused real problems for the industrial PC users, who benefit less and less as each operating system and CPU revision cycle passes. There may be no reason to upgrade. Probably 50% of industrial control applications would run fine on a military-grade 80486-type device using the DOS operating system.

		The Advantages of Small Form Factor HMI By Hector Lin, Advantech A modern small form factor HMI can be purchased for about the same cost as a dozen push buttons and indicator lights, providing better control, easier operator interaction, easier maintenance and support, and much greater operational utility for the same cost.

		What's in a name? by Jeff Payne, AutomationDirect PLC, DCS and PAC are a few acronyms used to describe what originally replaced relays in the late 1960s. So, what are the differences and why do we need to call them by so many different names?

		Going Green Again... Control Engineering, May 2008 By Jeanine Katzel Concerns about energy efficiency and environmental practices are back and gaining momentum, so automation vendors and their customers are helping ensure that manufacturing is one of the greenest sectors of the economy.

		Consider the Consequences of a Cyberattack Industrial Networking, May 2008 By John Rezabek, ISP Corp. One only can assume that fear of bad press must keep most victims from publicizing or revealing any successful cyberattack. Reports of serious breaches in industry still seem to be few and far between. That we are vulnerable is hard to deny.

		The State of Safety Control Engineering Asia, April 2008 By G Venkatesh With machine safeguarding now the fastest growing segment of the discrete manufacturing automation market, this article examines how far industrial safety has moved up corporate responsibility checklist.

		The Players in CAM software development American Machinist, April 2008 By Larry Haftl Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software offers machine shop operators a fast return-on-investment productivity improvement solution, but finding the CAM package that offers a shop the most potential benefit is anything but easy. There are more than 40 CAM software packages available, and more are introduced to the market each year.

		Support the Smart Machine Platform Initiative American Machinist, April 2008 By Bruce Vernyi The Smart Machine Platform Initiative is one of the few federally funded research programs targeted to assist manufacturing, and it’s a program that can help to keep U.S. manufacturing ahead in technology and competitive in the global economy.

		Alarm management life cycle provides process insight Plant Engineering, April 2008 By Prasad Pai, GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms As HMI/SCADA systems transition from being visualization tools to analytical tools, alarm management systems have gained importance and are now central to the success of an effective control system.

		Motors Move Toward More Efficiency Machine Design, April 2008 By Leland Teschler The next generation of motor-powered appliances and industrial machines will be energy misers thanks to new electronics and speed controls.

		Making Sense of Electrohydraulic Controllers Machine Design, April 2008 By Michael Liedhegener, Bosch Rexroth Machine builders sometimes have misconceptions about hydraulic-based motion. Hydraulics is not considered exceptionally precise, or able to support complex, synchronized multiaxis operations. The advent of closed-loop electrohydraulic motion controllers has changed the situation, making practical hydraulically powered equipment that is extremely precise, repeatable, and adaptable.

		Is Mechatronics Simulation Ready for Machine Builders? Machine Design, April 2008 By Sugato Deb, National Instruments A new study, “System Design: New Product Development for Mechatronics,” implies it’s make-or-break time to get on board with design simulation tools.

		Designing for Mechatronics Design News, April 2008 By Beth Stackpole Engineers are grappling with how to more effectively design products that have mechanical, electronics and software components. But this not your father’s systems engineering approach.

		Implementing Ethernet-based Industrial Protocols in Embedded Systems Implementing Ethernet-based Industrial Protocols in Embedded Systems IEN, April 2008 By Bob Blumenscheid, Digi International Increasingly, industrial and machine control is implemented using Ethernet-based networks, with all devices in the network connected by either twisted pair cable for 10/100 Ethernet connections, or wireless networks, using 802.11 based devices, supplanting earlier serial-based industrial networking protocols, such as CAN and Modbus.

		Knowledge and Focus are Key for Effective Safety Audit Control Engineering, April 2008 By Steve Dukich and Mike Duta, Rockwell Automation The challenge for a machine auditor is two-fold: To know which standards apply, and to understand what the standard requires. This is Part 2 of a two part series on the keys to conducting a successful safety audit program.

		Standards benefit batch SA Instrumentation & Control, April 2008 By Andrew Ashton Companies are finding that many of the ISA-88 principles for batch control can be applied in the continuous process field and in packaging automation.

		FPGA Can Speed Development Control Design, April 2008 By Stuart McFarlane Standard FPGA-based platforms and software tools have enabled machine control applications that were previously not possible or feasible. By using digital techniques, signal-to-noise ratios have improved, analog drift has been reduced, and flexibility has been increased.

		Integrating PID Controllers into Automated Processes via Ethernet Sensors, April 2008 By Sean Wilkinson, Watlow Electric Ethernet's popularity in industrial applications stems from its ability to exchange information, in real time, between processing equipment and Ethernet-based management systems.

		Save with the Right Distributed Motion Control By: Peishan Juan, Advantech Not all distributed motion control approaches are the same. There’s a need to pay attention to the degree of time-determinism, the amount of integration in control loops, the types of motors that can be managed, the openness of the software interface, and other specifications.

		Special Motor Design Control Engineering Asia, March 2008 By Thomas Fladerer, Siemens, and Dieter Seifert, Univ of Applied Sciences Many requirements cannot be met by standard solutions. In such cases, motors need to be specially matched using electrical designs different than standard designs.

		Getting More From CAM and CNC Software American Machinist, March 2008 By Larry Haftl Using a CAM package, staying current on it and taking advantage of recent hardware and software developments are the basics for getting the most out of your machines. The costs are relatively low and the returns are high.

		The 10 most-common Mistakes Made When Sizing Pneumatic Rodless Actuators Machine Design, March 2008 By Cory Danks, TOLOMATIC Rodless cylinders both support loads and supply guidance, eliminating the need for other load-bearing elements and reducing costs, size, and design time. Here’s what to watch for.

		Getting Standards Under One Roof Managing Automation, March 2008 By Stephanie Neil Most application integration has relied on proprietary point interfaces or middleware that multiplies over time, becoming expensive to build and maintain. What many want is one language that can be spoken between the plant floor and enterprise applications. Standards groups are at work. (Registration required)

		Why, what and when to automate on the manufacturing floor Advanced Manufacturing, March 2008 By Chris Stergiou Automation’s key driver is the economic justification of the investment for that automation which has to compete with other potential investments within manufacturing, but also with other company investments internal/external for the same scarce company capital. The untimely execution of an automation strategy fails to both deliver its promised economic benefits and can increase costs.

		Take Steps to Stymie Cyber-Criminals Automation World, March 2008 By C. Kenna Amos What drives better security is manufacturing taking responsibility for itself.

		CAD/ERP Data Integration: 2 Ways About It Industrial Automation Asia, March 2008 By Ricardo Talbot, Elmo Solutions In response to the critical need to ensure data synchronisation between design and manufacturing intensive departments, two approaches exist that enable manufacturing companies to extract and transfer metadata from CAD/PLM systems directly into ERP.

		Connecting the Plant to the Enterprise Control Engineering Europe March 2008 By C.G. Masi Japanese industrial automation engineers are working to link the shop-floor with enterprise-level networks.

		Washing eggs with fuzzy logic Control Engineering Europe February 2008 Today, with the advent of sensors that can measure simple quantities that in the past could only be estimated by human operators, fuzzy logic shows new promise for manufacturing end users to solve common problems on the factory floor.

		Connecting control systems to the internet January 2008 Relatively few industrial control systems are currently web-enabled, even though the advantages are clear to see. However change is in the air as new technologies and new confidence reach the market.

		The Culinary Art of Mechatronics Control Engineering, March 2008 By C.G. Masi Cooking up good mechatronic systems takes the right hardware and software. For mechatronics, software includes the operating system (OS), application programs, and instrument drivers.

		Building block diagrams Control Engineering, March 2008 By C.G. Masi Block-diagram visualization allows system engineers to separate needs analysis from system design, and start system-level design before finishing component-level designs.

		Know what you don’t know Intech, March 2008 By Nicholas P. Sands The demographic shift is the most urgent challenge to maintaining and improving automation and process control competency. Experts, with deep experience in a wide range of skills, are retiring from Dupont. 25% will retire with five years, and over 50% will retire within 10 years. Time to step up the urgency to address the competency challenges.

		Variable amplitude vibrator provides tighter control Intech, March 2008 Dry material usually feeds into a reactor, blender, or kiln by means of a conveyor belt. One parameter, which may be important depending upon the design philosophy used, is the natural or resonant frequency. The designer’s task is to provide uniformity so the conveyor speed can be relatively stable.

		Man vs. Machine Assembly, February 2008 by Austin Weber Lights-out applications are typically found only in portions of manufacturing plants today. Some manufacturers have machines that run by themselves during the night molding plastic parts. Then, in the morning, assemblers put them together. Here’s a look at the status of light-out manufacturing.

		Make Controls Kaboom-Proof Control Design, March 2008 By Loren Shaum In most North American quarters, there are two schools of thought: 1. Buy explosion-proof equipment, but risk much higher control costs than might be necessary. 2. Buy more-conventional equipment and purge to keep a hazardous atmosphere away from the control devices.

		Going the (Short) Distance With Wireless Machine Design, February 2008 By Darvin Kaelberer, Banner Engineering Wireless technology, which is frequently used in factories and other industrial settings where I/O must be sent from a remote area to an operator located several miles away, can also make sense if data only has to travel a few feet.

		IT makes Advanced Manufacturing Tick Machine Design, February 2008 By Matt Mason, Avatech Solutions Design-engineering software that can’t communicate well with manufacturing is a recipe for trouble. A software component of Windows called the .NET Framework is helping to boost productivity by reducing software communication problems.

		Take Out The Shake Machine Design, February 2008 By Yehia El-Ibiary, Systems Control One issue that designers of hydraulic position-control equipment often face is the low damping inherent in such systems. Here’s how to eliminate instability and oscillations in hydraulic position control systems.

		Lighting the Way for Vision Machine Design, February 2008 By Jeff Schmitz, Banner Engineering An object or target must have enough optical contrast for a vision sensor to see it. Put another way, there must be a detectable change (or delta) in the light received from the target compared to everything else in the camera’s field-of-view (FOV). Controlled lighting creates this contrast.

		Electric actuators explained Motion System Design, February 2008 What are the most important aspects of electric actuation that system designers need to be aware of? What happens when things go wrong? Experts from Exlar, THK, Bimba and Tolomatic answer these questions.

		Reliable torque Plant Services, February 2008 Article takes a close look at electric motor failure to examine the stresses on the motor, the most common failure modes and some of the causes of those failure modes. Then, it covers ways to either mitigate the failure or to detect an incipient failure.

		Isolate the noise, not the signal Plant Engineering, February 2008 By Greg Feliks, Moore Industries Some engineers think that the need for isolators and signal converters is eroding with the advent of smart instruments, isolated electronics and digital fieldbuses. However, isolators and signal converters can also be used to solve difficult or complex problems.

		Safety Instrumented System design is all about the process Plant Engineering, February 2008 By Charles M. Fialkowski, Siemens Energy & Automation Designing a single component may be viewed as a relatively simple matter – one that a single person can handle. Designing a large SIS, however, is typically beyond the ability of any single individual. Large systems require a multi-discipline team.

		Distributed I/O systems create islands of automation Plant Engineering, February 2008 By Tim Roberts, Schneider Electric The latest distributed I/O systems are open, modular systems that make it possible to connect motor starters, variable speed drives, operator interface terminals, encoders and other third-party products across networks and fieldbuses.

		Setting the scope for ISA100 standard Plant Engineering, February 2008 By Paul Sereiko, AirSprite Technologies ISA100.11a – the component of ISA100 that is involved with wireless transport of field transmitter measurements – is focused on process automation, but will not exclude factory automation or monitoring applications.

		Welding With Digital Controls Assembly, February 2008 By Austin Weber More welding equipment is now equipped with digital power supplies, microprocessors and servocontrollers that monitor all joining process variables and parameters. As a result, assemblers have more opportunities than ever to join plastic parts with much higher quality, tighter tolerances and fewer problems.

		PACs Gain Momentum Automation World, February 2008 By Wes Iversen While not everyone likes the name, a new generation of programmable automation controllers that feature multi-domain control functionality are helping to reduce costs for a growing number of manufacturers.

		Relays Take on Controller Functions Control Design, February 2008 By Loren Shaum Relays can perform machine control and safety tasks, and the line between controllers and relays is becoming a gray area.

		Time for Plant and Corporate IT to Grow Up Control, February 2008 By Charlie Gifford, 21st Century Manufacturing Solutions Subject: the bloody war zone in manufacturing operations management (MOM) systems. Neither side realizes how large and complex job it is to integrate and translate between the plant and business in real-time.

		The Status Quo Isn't Control, February 2008 By Jeffrey R. Harrow Web applications may be the next big thing in computing. Consider how web apps might enhance customer solutions: all the applications could reside and run on an always up-to-date web-based server that can access an extended information set. If it's you who provide this remote web app as a service, you can generate a continuing revenue stream! Are You Ready?

		Capital Preservation, Businesses’ Life Blood Control, February 2008 By Dave Harrold Stand before an audience of senior executives, use the word “safety” in your opening remarks, and watch the eyes begin to roll as everyone begins looking for the nearest exit. If they were called ‘instrumented capital preservation systems’ instead of safety instrumented systems, every CEO would insist the company invest in them.

		3D Does It Control Engineering, February 2008 By Renee Robbins How do control engineers help change production line capabilities quickly? Early adopters of PLM software say it’s about pushing the technological limits with 3D modeling, process simulation, and virtual commissioning.

		Get the Most out of your Machine-Safety Audit Control Engineering, February 2008 Steve Dukich and Mike Duta, Rockwell Automation Follow these five steps to make safety audits part of a successful safety program. This is the first part of a two-part series on machine-safety audits.

		Relays: Far from Dead Control Engineering, February 2008 David C. Thomas, Tyco Electronics The traditional socket mounted, electromechanical relay, often based on designs that are several decades old, is still a highly effective solution to load-switching problems in industrial and commercial applications.

		On-Machine Controls Control Engineering, February 2008 By C.G. Masi Automation vendors have begun to reverse the trend away from on-machine controls by introducing ruggedized industrial electronics packages that make it possible to move controls back onto machines.

		Benefits of a downtime accounting system for mining SA Instrumentation & Control, February 2008 By Dennis Cox, Citect Africa An effective manufacturing execution system (MES) that collects and organises downtime events to increase visibility and comprehension can help mining operations stay competitive.

		The Human Touch Control Engineering Asia, January 2008 By Charlie Masi Whether it’s designers cleverly developing products for robotic assembly or skilled workers performing intricate operations alongside sophisticated technology, the human factor is key to successful factory.

		Going Green … with Wireless Control Engineering Asia, January 2008 Industrial companies are increasingly adopting wireless sensor network (WSN) technology for green reasons, not just operational efficiency. These include reduction of the environmental impact of their processes, and optimization of energy utilization.

		Smart Cameras optimize quality control By Endre Toth, Vision Components GmbH Application note describes how three vision cameras are used for QC on sintered metal moldings. The parts are examined for correct external measurements as well as true running, axial runout, inner diameter and the occurrence of ridges, injections and cracks.

		Food Automation Operations Face Increasing Rigor By Thomas R Cutler Automation is the only solution for problems in the food processing industry. Labor issues, the increasing need for traceability, food safety, and competition from low-cost global manufacturing fuel the growing trend toward increased automation in the sector.

		Linear actuators get a servo look Machine Design, January 2008 By George Proctor, Copley Controls The most recent advance in direct-drive linear actuators is called a tubular linear actuator. It evolved from linear-motor technology. The position of the “plunger” (called a thrust rod for a linear actuator) is controlled by the electromagnetic field developed in the coils surrounding it.

		Guidelines for Motion System Design Machine Design, January 2008 By Jacob Paso and Brad Smith, Delta Computer Systems If motion-system designers, engineers, and technicians kept these guidelines in mind, projects would run smoother and on schedule, and equipment would work right the first time. Here are seven steps to a successful project.

		Presssing Need for Hydraulic Servos Machine Design, January 2008 Makers of stamping presses and die casters increasingly use servocontrols to boost throughput while minimizing equipment wear and tear.

		2008 Pinto’s Pointers – Technologies & Markets by Jim Pinto Because of its fragmentation, low volumes and conservative customer base, industrial automation is relatively slow to change. In the broad automation markets, there are pockets of technology and market growth that deserve special review. Here are Jim Pinto’s pointers and prognostications regarding the top automation technology and market trends that will gain traction in the coming year.

		Mathematics of information Control Engineering, January 2008 By Dennis Brandl Most control engineers will eventually have to build or specify a database to hold instrument data, analysis data, or production reporting data. This is the point when understanding the underlying structure and mathematics of databases becomes important.

		Convergence of IT, Automation Intech, January 2008 By Constantino Seixas Filho and Vitor Finkel Organizations remain frozen in the 1980s: IT reports to finance; Automation to maintenance. Lack of a clear definition of who is responsible for what in the organization inevitably leads to dysfunction. A united front between the two departments could lead to big manufacturing gains.

		Helping machines see in color Motion System Design, January 2008 When does it make sense to use color machine vision instead of or in addition to monochrome? And how do cameras “see” color anyway?

		Tried and true: soft starters Motion System Design, January 2008 By: Elisabeth Eitel Soft starters serve as an electrical throttle, usually installed between line power and motors, to smooth startups and prevent sudden and costly inrush current. What versions are best where?

		Eliminating non-repeatable errors Motion System Design, January 2008 Repeatable error is easy to accommodate and correct. But speed changes and servo-system bandwidth issues sometimes cause non-repeatable error in automated systems.

		Striking at the heart of condition assessment Power Engineering International, December 2007 By: Dave Randl, QinetiQ, UK Remote visual inspections of machinery and pipework have always had limitations because of the inherent inflexibility of fibrescopes and videoscopes. The unique articulation of a guide now opens up the possibility of navigation through areas not previously possible, allowing a more comprehensive plant condition assessment.

		3D-Based Machine Vision in Automotive Production Lines Machine Vision On-Line, December 2007 By Nello Zuech, To gain insight into some current machine vision activity in the automotive industry, we asked a number of companies to We asked for input from those companies specifically engaged in online 3D-based machine vision applications.

		Programmable safety begets new standards Machine Design, December 2007 By Dave Collins, Schneider Electric New safety standards have led safety PLCs and controllers to become more widely accepted in the U.S. In fact, many users are combining safety and automation components into the same system through use of safety PLCs and safety networks.

		How do actuator choices affect productivity in motion-centric automation enviornments? Motion System Design, December 2007 Pneumatic actuators are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and types, as well as with a multitude of standard options. At first glance, the number of permutations can be overwhelming. The good news is that each actuator type and configuration has a place in today’s automation environment.

		Robots and Humans Interact Safely Automation World, December 2007 By C. Kenna Amos Current trends in robotics will enable better human-robot interaction, making robots easier and safer to use.

		Mechanical Options Match Needs Control Design, January 2008 By Joe Feeley, editor in chief Lead screws and ball screws still have an important role to play in linear motion applications.

		Layers Protect Access to Controls Control Design, January 2008 By Loren Shaum, contributing editor Unfortunately, passwords get passed around. Access in the wrong hands often leads to machine downtime, costing thousands.

		Common Mistakes Made When Automating American Machinist, December 2007 Brief article describes five common mistakes: Choosing the wrong automation, unforeseen failures, unrealistic expectations, not integrating optimally, and training.

		When 2+3 Doesn’t Equal 5 American Machinist, December 2007 By Charles Bates Many shops realize that five-axis machining is a quick way to machine multiple part sides in one clamping to reduce setup times and shorten lead times. But what they may not know is that full, simultaneous five-axis machining is not always the most accurate way to cut parts.

		High-Speed Video Captures What’s Too Fast to See Assembly, January 2008 by John Sprovieri Some systems move so fast that when something goes wrong, the cause of the problem might come and go literally in the blink of an eye. That’s when a high-speed digital video camera becomes invaluable.

		Meeting the Changing Needs of Manufacturers Through Advanced System Integration Practices by John Nichols, Apex Manufacturing Solutions A systems integrator not only adds value through traditional automation systems, but also by integrating control systems, quality systems, supply chain networks, enterprise documentation systems, asset management systems, business systems, and intra/internets to provide a holistic view of all aspects of a manufacturing company’s business.

		Logic and I/O Motion System Design, September 2007 Interviews with experts from Opto 22, Wago, Phoenix Contact and Rockwell Automation on control system options and processing machine commands and feedback signals. It’s PC vs PLC vs PAC vs motion controllers.

		A Look at IEC 61499 Control Design, October 2007 By Jeremy Pollard The IEC 61499 model is independent from application domains and hardware infrastructure. Its encapsulation concepts, the concept of interface-service FB, provides a high level of abstraction, allowing for dealing directly with automation objects without primarily dealing with the implementation details.

		Time to Move Control Design, October 2007 By Jim Montague Supporters are pushing a variety of Ethernet-based fieldbuses for motion control, but users just want to build machines. Here’s how to find and implement the most appropriate digital network for your specific application.

		Putting Linear in Motion Control Design, October 2007 By Mark Lamendola Linear motors can fill a requirement that rotary motors can’t. The technology Is sound. The application often Is Ideal. Why don’t we see linear motors everywhere?

		Making Workhorses Efficient Automation World, September 2007 by C. Kenna Amos With industrial motors having a huge energy hunger, it makes sense for companies to investigate NEMA premium energy-efficiency motors.

		Virtually perfected Motion System Design, August 2007 By Elisabeth Eitel Simulating moving designs is easier and more useful than ever. Kinematics software makes building models infinitely easier. Increased connectivity is even allowing the placement of specific component profiles into models, and VRML and OpenHSF web viewing. And finite element analysis (FEA) can make a model highly realistic.

		Steady as she blows Motion System Design, August 2007 By Doug Mills, Fabco-Air Inc. Pneumatic linear slides combine air power with mechanical guides to move workloads with precision. They're useful on everything from simple pressing operations to demanding multi-axis robotics. Learn how to balance pneumatic power with the load capacities of supports for automated assembly equipment.

		Simulating for Mechatronics Machine Design, August 2007 By Brian MacCleery, National Instruments Modern simulation software lets engineers spot electromechanical problems long before they get to the stage of real hardware. An ideal system for virtual machine prototyping should account for the dynamics of mechanical transmissions and payloads, electrical motors and drives, and such embedded control-software tasks as motion trajectories and PID tuning.

		Decisive factors guide motion control solutions for semiconductor manufacturing By Bosch Rexroth Now that the semiconductor industry has transitioned from “laboratory”-style manufacture to industrial-scale production, improving machine motion control offers opportunities for competitive differentiation and controlling the high cost of ownership — particularly for high performance, multi-axis, high throughput machines.

		Stepper phase current made easy Machine Design, August 2007 By Mindy Lin Cheng and Jeannie Robinson , Lin Engineering Stepmotors need the right current if they are to work correctly. Without it, the motors can overheat, miss steps, and even freeze in their tracks. Yet the one electrical specification that most confuses all engineers is the rating for stepmotor current.

		How Many Axes Does Anybody Really Need? American Machinist, August 2007 By Bruce Vernyi Are we approaching the point at which the number of axes available on a machine exceeds the number that are really useable? Are we at the point at which another set of axes is just another gadget?

		Coming to grips with compliance Machine Design, July 2007 By Gordon Ritchie, Danaher Motion The single issue that causes the most discussion during our motor-sizing process is compliance and stiffness. Is there a typical way of allowing for compliance?

		Q&A: The Impact of NI LabVIEW 8.5 on Machine Builders By Brian MacCleery, NI senior product manager How National Instruments LabVIEW as well as multicore and FPGA technologies are impacting machine builders and the growing mechatronics segment.

		Integrating Controllers Motion Control OnLine, August 2007 By Kristin Lewotsky, contributing editor These days, the trend is toward pushing intelligence out into the system. Controllers are not just distributed, but integrated into the driver or into the robots themselves.

		Energy Efficient Motion Control Engineering, July 2007 By Mark Hoske, Editor Legislative efforts seek added efficient motor incentives to diffuse higher capital costs so everyone can benefit from lifecycle energy savings benefits.

		Motion control on a budget Machine Design, July 2007 By Doug Mills, Chief Engineer, Fabco-Air Inc Pneumatic linear slides offer an economical way to move heavy loads precisely.

		Hold it right there Machine Design, July 2007 By William Hewitson, Ruland Manufacturing Shaft collars keep assemblies and components in place on shafts. Engineers should be aware of the ways to make the best use of shaft collars.

		Juggling many functions Motion System Design, July 2007 By Fabio Malaspina, Rockwell Automation Programmable automation controls (PACs) consolidate discrete, motion, drives and safety control in a single environment, making changeovers easier and significantly faster.

		Commanding new heights Motion System Design, July 2007 By Steve Reese, Parker Hannifin It's easy to synchronize motion, but doing it well is another thing altogether. New algorithms take machine coordination to the next level.

		Motion Control-in-a-Box Automation World, June 2007 By C. Kenna Amos, Contributing Editor Motion control-in-a-box provides reduced power and feedback cabling, particularly important with moving applications such as motors located on moving members of a robot.

		Get on the bandwagon with servo bandwidth Machine Design, June 2007 By Lee Stephens One important aspect of how motors and loads interact is the amount of compliance between them. High-speed, precision mechanical systems need high stiffness — and thus, high bandwidth.

		Control systems evolve slowly, steadily Control Design, June 2007 By Jeremy Pollard, CET, Columnist If anything can be said about the state of machine control today it’s that it progresses slowly, but steadily toward a true system that allows users to choose their weapons and sleep at night.

		The sustainable machine Control Design, June 2007 By Loren Shaum, Contributing Editor There still is an enormous installed base of dinosaur machines out there that still perform pretty well. Builders and system integrators have two pressing missions with these machines: keep them running economically, and help the users migrate to new technology on terms both builder and user can handle.

		Mechatronics Resolves Design Challenges Control Engineering, June 2007 By Nipun Mathur, National Instruments Faster, better, and cheaper is the name of the game for machine builders, via streamlined design and smarter applications of automation.

		Brushless PM Torque Motors Control Engineering, June 2007 By Frank Bartos Powerful and efficient, these permanent-magnet synchronous motors eliminate extra power transmission elements and include advanced design for very high levels of torque.

		Festo’s Bionic Demos Use Fluidic Muscle Design News, June, 2007 Joseph Ogando, Senior Editor Called Airic’s Arm, it features 32 fluidic muscles and laser-sintered artificial bones that approximate the structures of a human arm. It's capable of handling a 3-kg load while full extended.

		Robotics is the way of the future and present for manufacturing Plant Services, May 2007 By Ken Schnepf Learning to put robotics to use is an essential survival skill for U.S. manufacturers as robots become more efficient, reliable and easier to control while the available labor market shrinks.

		Out with mechanical, in with electrical Motion System Design, May 2007 By Jeff Lovelace, Baldor Electric The speed of a driven shaft can be varied by mechanical methods, but electrical drives often perform better.

		Moving limits for pneumatics Motion System Design, May 2007 By Phil O'Neill, Bosch Rexroth Both very slow and extremely fast motion pose challenges to pneumatics. A few design subsystems can extend their practical speeds.

		Motion control: The past 10 years Control Design, May 2007 By Loren Shaum, Contributing Editor Author reviews the changes that have happened over the past decade with drives, motors and motion controllers.

		What goes wrong when inertias aren't right Machine Design, May 2007 By Leland Teschler Motor and load inertias should match as closely as possible. Does this apply to servomotors? What exactly should the ratio be?

		Optical scanning: the Ferrari of motion control Motion System Design, May 2007 By Amit Shahar, General Scanning This article offers an overview of optical-scanning based high performance, servo controlled motion systems and focuses on substantial gains achieved through the recent innovation of tuning servo performance.

		The good stuff may cost less Machine Design, May 2007 Steve Nylund, CEO, Delta Computer Systems Best-of-class motion controllers cost more initially, but can quickly pay for themselves through improved process efficiencies. (Author’s company makes motion controllers.)

		Gear Design: Breaking the status quo Machine Design, May 2007 Alex Kapelevich, President, AKGears Traditional gear design limits the performance of mechanical drives.

		Synchronizing when speed counts Machine Design, May 2007 Curtis S. Wilson, Delta Tau Data Systems Special hardware can overcome software latency that may otherwise negate precise motion control.

		Modern VSDs are more capable than ever Plant Services, April 2007 By Sheila Kennedy A variable-speed drive (VSD) modulates motor speed to reduce power demand and generate energy savings. Drive options constantly change , and how you match motor and drive affects system efficiency.

		Food Packaging Eats Up Motion Control Motion Control On Line, April 2007 By Kristin Lewotsky, Contributing Editor Offering simpler integration and improved operation, new motion control systems are achieving better than ever penetration in the food and beverage packaging industries.

		What’s The Power Behind ETHERNET Powerlink Motion Control On Line, April 2007 By John Mazurkiewicz, Baldor Electric Automation designers, builders, and integrators are merging servo/motion technology with ETHERNET Powerlink, attaining higher levels of performance along with numerous additional benefits.

		How Semiconductor Companies Are Moving Toward Higher Productivity By Joel Galliher, Bosch Rexroth Semiconductor fabs are increasing the levels of automation significantly, replacing manual transport with automated material handling systems and turning more attention to the flow of materials.

		Modular manufacturing steers machine control choices Control Design, April 2007 By Loren Shaum, Contributing Editor To improve flexibility, machine builders are incorporating more distributed control and remote I/O. This article focuses on machines with multiple stations.

		There’s safety in machines Control Design, April 2007 By Joe Feeley, Editor Safety has moved away from being considered a difficult-to-do afterthought once a machine was built and/or installed and/or a costly necessity that adds complexity and limits machine operations.

		Closed-Loop PID algorithms in motion/motor control Control Design, April 2007 By Dr. Ernst Dummermuth, consultant Author explains PID and says to use differential feed forward for numerical controls, and integral feed backward for trajectory control of motion.

		Observers or sensors for drive controls? Control Design, February 2007 By Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Klaus Hofer, Bielefeld Technical College The increased intelligence of electrical drives occurs with the monolithic fusing of power electronic and microelectronic components at the chip level, making it possible to install complete drive electronics as a power chip in the terminal box or plug connector of the motor. This article shows why open-loop, algorithmic motor control is an accurate, less-costly alternative to sensor-based drive solutions.

		A New Breed of Tilt Sensors Sensors, March 2007 By: James Fennelly, Semaj Design LLC High accuracy at a low cost over a wide temperature range makes thermal MEMS accelerometers the hot choice in tilt sensing.

		Stepper Motion Evolution Control Engineering -- March 2007 Frank J. Bartos, P.E. Inherent control simplicity, miniature motors and drives, and higher torque density of stepper systems add up to a viable alternative to servo motion for certain lower-power applications. It’s the only motion-control method able to run in open loop, without the need for position feedback. This makes stepper-motor-based systems simpler than servo motion systems, with the lower cost of step motors adding to the attraction. Stepper based motion systems can range up to 0.75 kW (1 hp) equivalent power, but most applications run at much lower output. A large number of manufacturers serve this market

		Using Vibration Analysis to Detect Early Failure of Bearings Process Industry Informer, March/April Issue Dr. S. J. Lacey, Engineering Manager, Schaeffler (UK) Vibration produced by rolling bearings can result from geometrical imperfections during the manufacturing process, defects on the rolling surfaces or geometrical errors in associated components. Noise and vibration is often perceived to be synonymous with quality and often used for predictive maintenance.

		Cable goes Twist-Friendly Machine Design, March 2007 Tom Collen, Northwire Inc. Most cable is not designed for repeated bending, twisting, and movement. The problem is that repeated flexing can eventually cold harden conductors to the point of failure. Similarly, the friction generated between various internal components of a moving cable can generate enough heat to compromise the insulation and jacketing over time. The implications of these problems are obvious for maintenance and machinery uptime.

		Pressure-Resistant Proxes: New Generation Proximity Switches For Hydraulic Applications Sensors, April 2007 By: Peter Heimlicher, Contrinex and Tom Horstman, US Automation As the hydraulics industry continues to advance, higher pressures are being used in more applications. When end-of-stroke signals are required, a switch located in the end cap is the most reliable sensing choice. The sensor industry has evolved to produce reliable end-of-stroke sensors that can operate in today's high-pressure environments, with safety margins approaching 40%.

		Ethernet, High-Speed Bandwidth Lead Evolution of Motion Networks Design News, Motion Networks Supplement, April 2007 Al Presher, Contributing Editor Distributed operations using Ethernet, safety functionality and more sophisticated solutions that leverage the bandwidth of high-speed motion networks are the leading trends in the evolution of automation/motion networks.

		Motion Networking Innovations Design News, Motion Networks Supplement, April 2007 Zuri Evans, SIMOTION product manager, Siemens Energy & Automation The future of motion control networking is simply to become an enabler. One trend is modular machine concepts that separate a complete machine into modules that can be assembled in various combinations to allow for custom solutions in a fraction of the time.

		Six Decisions You Must Get Right Before Upgrading Your Automation System By Control Systems International Automation upgrades often fail because buyers fail to make a few critical decisions early in the upgrade process. This report identifies the critical decisions you must make early and correctly in order for your upgrade project to be cost effective, achieve your goals, and reduce the risk of incorrect startup and operation

		In search of encoder accuracy Control Design, January 2007 By Loren Shaum, Comtec Encoders have been around for so long as the standard for displacement measurement that they’re sometimes taken for granted. As the technology has improved, encoders have become the dominant rotary and linear displacement measurement means. Today it dominates North America and Asia, while resolvers still hold Europe.

		Spotlight on the Chemical Processing Industry Motion Control On Line By Kristin Lewotsky, Contributing Editor Motion control opportunities in the chemical industry show up in niche applications or downstream. Traditionally, the chemical industry is the province of straight automation -- from the motors that run the pumps and agitators to those that keep the mills turning to produce powders. In selected cases, though, motion control can provide a better solution for the task at hand, whether in the processing itself or in downstream operations.

		Errant Performer Or Scapegoat? American Machinist, February 2007 By James Benes Spindles get blamed for a lot of machining problems but, in many cases, the spindle is not the root cause of the problem. Crashes and heavy cuts can eventually lead to a need for a rebuild. A diagnostic tool that measures and analyzes spindle error motions determines if a spindle is the cause of machining problems. This article discusses testing techniques and the causes of spindle failure.

		New Robot Safety Standards To Spawn Tech Changes Automation World, February 2007 By By Wes Iversen, Managing Editor Forthcoming changes in U.S. robot safety standards will open the door to new robot technologies. That will come with the expected approval by ANSI—the American National Standards Institute—of ISO 10218 Part 1, an international robot safety standard that was published last June by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ANSI approval of ISO 10218-1 is expected by early summer.

		Correcting errors that never happen Machine Design, February 2007 By Steven Reese, Parker Hannifin Automation Group The Luenberg Observer lets motion-control systems mathematically predict and cancel position errors before they happen. This type of control gets results that are six times more accurate than those of standard PID controls. Proactively chasing expected errors not only reduces errors in position but also stops resonances before they happen,

		Aerotech Pushes Mechatronics Envelope with Motion Systems Design News, February 2007 By Lawrence D. Maloney, Contributing Editor Interview with Robert Novotnak, manager of Aerotech’s Advanced Automation Division, which supplies complete motion systems for machines ranging from a 5-axis laser cutting station to a high-performance stent cutter for the medical field. In this interview with Novotnak discusses some of the essential building blocks of mechatronics.

		Microsoft's Robotic Moves Design News, February 2007 By Joseph Ogando, Senior Editor Microsoft released a Windows-based robotics software development kit. Called Microsoft Robotics Studio (MSRS), it consists of a visual robot programming language, 3D physics-based simulation tools and a services-oriented runtime architecture, for $399. Together, these components offer a common software development platform for many kinds of robots — from simple hobby models up to complex industrial robots.

		Machine safety made (a bit) easier Control Design, February 2007 By Loren Shaum, contributing editor, Control Design Machine safety takes on some semblance of standard thinking among machine builders. Today, standards are more focused on the type of machine, with different machines having different standards. These standards allow machine builders to incorporate specific safety equipment on specific machines. Towards that end, the strategies, tactics, and actions revolve around safety relays and safety controllers. This article will focus on the relays.

		Production Monitoring and Data Mining –No Strip Mining Allowed! In essence, data mining is the process of sifting historical data to find data that supports a premise, or produces a pattern. The implication is that only favorable data is discovered, making the process somewhat dubious. There are a variety of ways data can be mined, including manually, or with increasingly sophisticated analysis software that includes artificial intelligence and neural network modeling tools.

		Six Key Machine Control Challenges Solved Rahul Kulkarni, Product Marketing Engineer, National Instruments When designing your next-generation machine, cutting-edge technologies in control systems, software architectures, and electromechanical components differentiate your automation system from the competition. This article explores the top software and hardware challenges machine builders face today and offers a performance-driven approach to solving these challenges.

		Build to last By Dan Hebert, PE, Senior Technical Editor, Control Design Every automation component you buy for your machines has costs associated with it. The most obvious are upfront purchase and installation costs, but maintenance and support costs can dwarf these upfront costs. This article looks at how machine builders and their suppliers view total lifecycle costs associated with automation hardware and software, with the focus on reducing costs while still maintaining performance.

		Technical Review: A Condensed Guide to Automation Control System Specification, Design and Installation Part 1: System Identification and Safety by Tom Elavsky, AutomationDirect This is Part 1 of a four-part series of articles on Control System Design that can act as a general guide to the specification, design and installation of automated control systems. The information and references are presented in a logical order that will take you from the skills required to recognize an operation or process suited for automating, to tips on setting up a program, to maintaining the control system.

		On-Machine™ - On the Cutting Edge of Automation With the current squeeze on capital investments, companies are searching for ways to lower the cost of installing and maintaining automation systems. As a means to this end, they’re finding that moving industrial controls and hardware closer to the application or directly onto the machine saves considerable time and money. This paper examines the scope of On-Machine™ solutions, outlines the key benefits of this growing trend and highlights examples where a distributed, On-Machine architecture has been successful.

Automation.com Real-time Information for the Automation Professional May. 25, 2012

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