Articles and News

By Bill Lydon The current state of pharma manufacturing maturity and the future of automation in the sector were important topics at the annual Pharmaceutical Automation Roundtable (PAR) held October 2019 at a Novo Nordisk facility.

The author of 'Quick Start Guide: An Overview of the ISA/IEC 62443 Series of Standards' hosts a webinar to review these automation cybersecurity standards.

Auto manufacturers may soon produce medical equipment for COVID-19 patients. Standards will be crucial to ensure that products are made safely and quickly.

As all industries figure out how to carry on while limiting the spread of COVID-19, new technologies like smart glasses present timely solutions.

COVID-19 has significantly affected manufacturing plant activity in China. Full manufacturing capabilities will likely not return for several months.

By Bill Lydon Focused on the theme, Driving Digital Transformation in Industry and Cities, the February 3-6 event had over 800 attendees from 20 countries representing more than 300 companies, along with many breakout sessions and workshops.

What supply chain issues do you anticipate in your area of the world as a result of COVID-19?

The newly classified pandemic known as COVID-19 will have a dramatic impact on nearly every industry around the world, and automation will be no exception.

What impact will COVID-19 have on the automation cybersecurity industry?

This article discusses how automated guided vehicles have advanced from simple materials handlers to intelligent autonomous robots.

For the most effective management of industrial cybersecurity, it should be baked into a company's culture.

As manufacturers consider investing in robotic technology for productivity, it’s vital they have a clear grasp of ROI validating purchasing decisions.

There are a host of advantages in adopting the SaaS model for business solutions such as labeling. Not surprisingly there is both a growing trend for companies to integrate labeling with their cloud-based enterprise applications as well as a distinct move to embrace cloud based labeling solutions.

What is digital twin technology in the context of manufacturing automation?

The five core beliefs of the ISA Global Cybersecurity Alliance represent the values that its founding members share in common.

Process historians were once simply software packages that stored and presented real-time process data, but today historians are being used for much more.

To maintain a constant (rated) flux density, the applied voltage must also be changed in the same proportion as the frequency (per Faraday’s law).

Although few engineers now hesitate to use wireless for monitoring purposes, wireless valve control has not enjoyed such success.

Products are becoming commodities in the fast-moving new global business environment. To succeed, businesses need a competitive differentiator – a proprietary edge which can only be developed through innovation, knowledge and experience.

Counterfeit electrical products are a growing problem that can have serious consequences. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reports fiscal year 2008 seizures totaled more than $272.7 million in counterfeit and pirated goods, a 38 percent increase in domestic value over fiscal year 2007. In the category of Top Safety and Security Commodities for fiscal year 2009, electrical products moved from 5th to 2nd position just behind pharmaceuticals.