Articles and News

Project Management Is More Than a Disruption: It Is Real Work

By Mike Hughes, Schaeffler UK With numerous designs to choose from, specifying the right linear guidance system can be a daunting task. Here’s an overview of the types of system available, as well as their main design features and typical areas of application.

Bolster Security for Your Legacy OPC Server

The self-organizing controller has proven to be a valuable tool in sterilization equipment in order to verify the capacity of the response to any change in the pressure or temperature.

The Future of Calibration is Integration

What is an Optimal Control System for Batch Manufacturing?

By Dan Miklovic, LNS Research The basic concepts of Asset Performance Management (APM) have been around for nearly 50 years. In this article, we'll discuss the wealth of knowledge on different maintenance approaches available to today's professionals, and also the main challenges with putting those approaches into action.

By Thomas Seubert, Contributing Author Over the past two years (since the end of the recession), there have been some disturbing trends within manufacturing, specifically the automation/controls engineering profession. The author highlights these trends and suggests actions to counteract them.

By Carlos W. Moreno, Ultramax What analyses of a database enable predictions which are valid in decision making. This review does not introduce new technical concepts. It explains to engineers why their knowledge of the processes that generate data needs to be integrated in the analysis of the data, and at what level.

Calibration and pressure instrumentation has its own unique challenges.

By Bill Nolan, Rootstock Software Many regulated manufacturers use paper-or Excel-based processes to address compliance. For discrete manufacturers who are required to have FDA CFR compliance, the Salesforce1 Platform connected an ERP system offers some distinct advantages.

By Jean Carl, Macro Sensors Blog discusses how, in the European market, sensors specified for use within potentially explosive atmospheres must be certified to ATEX standards.

By Roy Tomalino, Beamex Calibrating pressure devices has its own unique challenges. This blog describes three of them.

By David J. Bush, C.P.I.M In early 2012, we began an earnest search for a replacement for our legacy ERP system. We wanted a new ERP package that could handle the needs of our electronics industry demands. We were in for a big and disappointing surprise.

By Kenneth Tom, Wurldtech Security Technologies Today, the smart grid is under attack. We need to protect this infrastructure and provide proper visibility into the network threats by taking advantage of the latest technology for Industrial Control System (ICS) security.

In your journey to become an automation professional, consider joining ISA and contributing your time and talents to advance the automation industry. You will find a community of people with common in

By Dave Cronberger, Cisco Software defined networks (SDNs) are a hot topic at the enterprise-level. The reasons vary – but they’re piling up. The most promising – and potentially profitable – benefit of an SDN is its potential in making the network directly programmable.

By Elsa Madrigal and Dan McGrath, Panduit Multiple-in-Multiple-Out (MIMO) is a new technology adopted by new IEEE 802.11Wi-Fi standards. Under 802.11n and 802.11ac, the antennas in the access points receive various reflected signals and, using digital signal processing, stitch them together into a unified, clear signal.

By Bill Lydon, Editor Siemens continues to make large investments in software for manufacturing industries aimed at increasing the productivity of design, engineering, commissioning, operations, and maintenance in discrete and process industries. Siemens COMOS is targeted at process industries and is analogous to Siemens PLM for the discrete industries.

ISA Training and Education Opportunities in October