Articles and News

By Bill Lydon, Editor Foxboro has dramatically stepped up the power of their controller with the Foxboro Evo process automation system introduction. This controller is a great example of the new breed of controllers that leverages the latest technology.

Premature valve failure results from seat erosion under low flow/high pressure drop conditions or when the valve is cavitating or flashing.

Technical paper focuses on the implementation of a practical approach for fuel cells system data analysis.

By Bill Lydon, Editor Over the last few years a number of automation vendors have announced various services including outsourced maintenance, system integration, manufacturing and business process consulting, and remote operations. I wonder if an automation vendor can continue to be effective as both a product company and services provider.

Recently I watched the movie Apollo 13 again, this time including my four children who had never seen the cinematic classic. I’ve personally seen it too many times to count; it’s one of my favorites—p

Smart reset can reduce overshoot and faltering, and smart feedforward can provide a more complete and accurate feedforward action.

ISA education and training in December features new course offerings

By Pat Garrehy, Rootstock When SAP recently decided to stop working on its mid-market BusinessByDesign Cloud ERP product, it didn’t take long for the competition to voice their opinions.

By Bill Lydon, Editor While industrial Ethernet is being adopted at a high rate, the majority of connected nodes (73%) are still traditional networks like DeviceNet, PROFIBUS, Modbus, SERCOS, Foundation Fieldbus, ASi, and others. In order to gain a clearer understanding of the trends, I spoke with Tom Moore, Research Analyst at IHS's Electronics and Media Group.

Can Early Involvement Improve Operations and Maintenance in the Safety Life Cycle?

In an automation career, you will be amazed how a quick admission of error can defuse a potentially bad scene.

Understanding the scope and linkages between automation and business systems is crucial.

By Bill Lydon, Editor The time has come for a new acronym. The new high level of communications and computing at end devices is opening the possibilities for holistic and adaptive automation with the goal of increasing efficiency. This is a logical evolution in step with the “Internet of Things” trend and will lead to more responsive and efficient production.

What are the Advantages of Electronic Document Management for the Automation Industry?

Where possible, use a diaphragm actuator sized to meet at least 150% of the maximum thrust or torque requirement.

To achieve a successful industrial automation project implementation, it’s important for everyone to be involved with the process.

Understanding Safety Life Cycles

By Bill Lydon, Editor This new initiative, supported by CISCO, Rockwell Automation, Panduit and ODVA, supports IP network convergence between the enterprise and plant floor. The Industrial IP Advantage website and activities are an agnostic way to share best practices, information, and educate the industry to accelerate adoption of IP technology.

Pick your team members wisely, lead by example, and always convey the highest expectations of performance. Your team will deliver.

By Paul Hodge & Joe Bastone, Honeywell The advantages of optimized project workflow can be realized at both ends of the project schedule. The benefits are essential to ensuring control systems pose the least risk to project schedule and allow for safe, efficient and reliable plant startup and operation.