Articles and News

By Pat Garrehy, Rootstock Manufacturers are finding that their markets have changed, caused by both business and consumer-altered demands. For those who have undergone significant business change, what was used as criteria to select the legacy ERP system of the past is no longer relevant.

Predictive analytics pushes the pursuit of asset reliability from its reactive orientation to one that is fully forward-looking and better aligned with the goals and realities of today's manufacturing

By James Floyd and Cole Downing, Logic Supply, Inc. Should you accept a higher-priced, bundled automation PC with your system or select one on your own? Here are 6 things you need to ask your vendor to (a) assess whether independent PC selection makes sense and (b) to configure a unit that will meet your needs.

A novel sliding-mode control of induction motor using space vector modulation technique

By Bill Lydon, Editor As government agencies and the pharmaceutical & life sciences industry take measures to reduce drug counterfeiting, product diversion, and increase patient safety, drug manufacturers are faced with the challenge of implementing serialization and tracking systems.

Temperature loops on mixed volumes, gas pressure loops, and level loops need much larger than expected controller gains and reset times.

The pulp and paper industry has experienced considerable change in recent decades, including advancements in digital technologies, rising energy costs, and international demand for tissue and fluff pu

The key to supplier relationship management is selecting the most quantifiable metrics in your specific case. Also take into account how repeatable the results will be, even with changing personnel in

By Daniel L. Fenton, Phoenix Contact It is the author’s opinion that integration of the controls network and the IT network became inevitable when the industry chose to use Ethernet as the medium with which to communicate data. The controls industry may choose to be dragged kicking and screaming into the modern communications era, or it can gracefully embrace the change.

By Bill Lydon, Editor The ability to improve manufacturing operations is growing with the application of software that can leverage lower cost computing. More than 30 years ago, ULTRAMAX Corporation commercialized an interesting software product to optimize the operating performance of industrial processes. I recently caught up with the Founder and CEO to learn more about the product and their philosophy and perspective of industrial process optimization.

If a piece of code is to be replicated many times, always have two different people independently test it whenever possible.

Achieving real world benefits with statistical process control

By Thomas R. Cutler Holistic is not the first word that comes to mind regarding automation; neither is order-taker. Yet thousands of interviews over the past twenty years have revealed that many system integrators who provide automation services, particularly in material handling, better match the description of order-takers.

By: Christophe Romatier, Honeywell Process Solutions A centralized remote collaboration center makes the best use of resources by creating a hub where experts from a variety of disciplines can access information, troubleshoot and optimize production facilities—all from a single location.

New Standards and Technologies Streamline Safety Systems

By Chris Hansford, Hansford Sensors Discusses the importance of preserving high levels of performance in automation equipment and how this can be achieved using reliable vibration measurement equipment.

Conceptual knowledge should be sought to see the commonality in seemingly different industrial application requirements.

By Patty Solberg, Powerit Solutions Utilities are increasingly adopting advanced demand response (DR) programs—and that represents a growing opportunity for energy-intensive businesses to reduce their overall electricity costs while contributing to corporate sustainability efforts. To participate successfully in these programs, energy-intensive businesses must have DR-ready automation.

Industrial control systems are increasingly under attack and basic wireless security is inadequate. Government-validated technologies can be used to achieve greater cybersecurity

By Shaun Luper The stunning and sometimes revolutionary strides made in the consumer and corporate computing industries over the last decade (and more) have Automation clients, customers, and insiders wondering why the evolution of tech in Automation has not paralleled these gains to a greater degree.