Articles and News

By Rick Delgado, Freelance Automation Writer The trend in computer advancement supports the oft-cited prediction that machines will continue to replace human jobs. While new demand can’t be predicted with certainty, individuals can take advantage of new opportunities as they emerge alongside automation.

There is a straightforward linear relationship between the units of pounds per square inch (psi) and degrees F (Fahrenheit).

By Dave Sharpe, Rockwell Automation Whole and healthy ingredients can create obstacles in production, while ingredient transparency is also an issue. Luckily, an automation infrastructure that lets IT and OT communicate can solve many of these complications

Technical benefits derived from employing dynamic simulation and control of operational transients of natural gas processing plants

By Mark Humphlett, Infor The total output of U.S. manufacturing has increased by more than 250% in the past 25 years, and this growth is expected to continue. In this environment, manufacturers must be proactive about simplifying complex supply chains, or risk falling behind their competitors.

The “Automation Age” is the most influential period of technological advancement since the invention of the steam engine.

By Bill Lydon, Editor, Automation.com In this day and age, it can sometimes seem like the small manufacturer is getting buried underneath the bigger entities in the industry. Yet, many of today’s advances, like the cloud-based MES, are making it possible for small and medium size manufacturers to improve their operation

By Christoffer Widahl, Emerson Automation Solutions Manual tank gauging at oil and gas extraction sites is a dangerous and potentially fatal operation. The new API MPMS 18.2 standard, which allows automatic tank gauging to be used for custody transfer on production tanks, will help to prevent injuries.

An oversized control valve will operate next to the seat where the friction and stick slip is greatest.

Although there has been no direct comment regarding the future of Windows Compact (CE), it’s clear that CE is giving way to Windows 10 IoT Core. The interesting thing with CE is that it had two distinct use cases: products that had a real-time processing need and those that did not, or at least no need for tightly bounded determinism.

Whether for industrial or business purposes, a system that integrates all systems and accessories is the best. But with many software versions available in the market today, choosing one that is appropriate becomes a hard task. PLC software is one of the best options. It comes equipped with features that enable easy integration and a working atmosphere that fits to all settings.

Management and motion control is a task requiring specialized equipment and software. An undertaking that required massive investment has now been made easy through the introduction of a motion controller known as soft motion, or software-based motion control.

Traditional motion control requires extensive hardware and software installations. This can be an expensive undertaking to acquire all the required appliances. Soft motion software provides a solution to this predicament. Designed to run on a PC, soft motion reduces the cost of running and controlling motion by 25–50%.

An industrial automation alarm system is a powerful aid, showing the right time to take the right action to prevent an undesired consequence.

By Florian Douetteau, Dataiku Data science software maker, Dataiku, recently completed a worldwide survey that asked thousands of companies: how does your organization put data science into production?

By Latha D.S. & K. Jayaprakash, Tata Consulting Engineers This article provides a brief cloud technology overview and discusses how cloud computing technology is transforming industrial automation for the future, enhancing plant productivity and cost optimization.

There is a straightforward linear relationship between the units of milliamps and degrees.

The benefits and ROI of of using optical spectroscopy solutions in-line to measure moisture in real time.

2016 was an exciting year of innovation and exploration in industrial automation. All this cutting-edge development fuels the excitement, but also begs a relevant question: Will these developments lead to convergence, divergence, and/or chaos in 2017?

By Alexander Müller, Kistler Throughout the industry, the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) principle is a critical factor in decisions on procuring new machinery or plant. Electromechanical joining systems can be many times more cost-efficient in the long term than classical hydraulic and pneumatic technologies.