Articles and News

The MMA is a group of Mechatrolink product developers and users who promote the use of Mechatrolink, the most widely used motion control network in Asia.

Automation.com, July 2011 Mosaic, a Florida-based fertilizer producer, asked Polk State College (PSC) to create a training program. PSC worked with Rockwell Automation and RWD Technologies to develop the curriculum.

Copalp successfully passed tests performed by the test laboratory of iƒak in Germany, for certification of a system according to PLCopen Conformity Level ST (Structured Text).

The Quad PAC controlled switchgear was designed with a voting scheme where triple inputs are sent to the PLC system. The best of the three dictates the state of the device.

With a year-to-date total of $1,984.87 million, 2011 is up 108.0% compared with 2010.

Siemens published safety guidelines which operators of industrial plants can follow to minimize the risk of external intervention from the start.

Siemens released a firmware update of its S7-1200 PLC that eliminates vulnerabilities and improves the security and robustness of its S7-1200 product family.

Automation.com, June 2011 By Bosch Rexroth Packaging containers can sometimes be quite elaborate. The faster, the better, the more accurate so as not to damage delicate products. This is the challenge for pick-and-place robots and the control technology behind them. Chocolate, for example, is one such product that must be handled with care.

Automation.com, May 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor ABB creates new role, appoints Brice Koch, to oversee relations with ABB’s largest customers and the development of opportunities in strategic growth areas such as rail, wind, water, solar, energy efficiency and smart grids. Koch will also be responsible for developing ABB’s service business.

Automation.com, May 2011 By Roy Kok Over the years, we’ve had sensor upgrades, improved controllers, better operator visibility, data archiving and analytics, and now we have enterprise integration for improved material management, corporate agility, regulatory compliance and a host of other features.

Modernization of a municipal waterworks with SCADA standardization: Past, present, and planning for the future

Automation.com, May 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor The size of Hannover Fair can be overwhelming but there were industry and technology trends reflected in products and presentations at the event. Here are some specific examples for illustration - in most cases there are many more companies that have products supporting these trends.

A PLC from AutomationDirect helped this farmer/inventor develop a new kind of hay baler that lets farmers harvest hay day or night, regardless of the weather.

Infoteam Software will distribute ISaGRAF in Europe, Germany and China.

Automation.com, May 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor Here are a few highlights from ABB Automation & Power World 2011. The event attracted a record number of participants, totaling more than 4,200, and featured over 400 educational workshops and hands-on training sessions, over 45 customer-presented case studies, and an exhibition of ABB and partner products.

Siemens provided the PLC, CNC, HMI, RFID, Profinet and safety systems to Toledo Powertrain for a Flexible Assembly Configuration System (FACS) to build the GF6 six-speed, front wheel transmission.

Automation.com, May 2011 By Frank Hurtte, River Heights Consulting The question we would like to explore is pretty simple. Back 20 years ago it was significant, today it’s huge. To illustrate the point, let’s look at what might happen when a special machine builder experienced issues in the field.

Dick Morley On Black Holes, Nanotechnology and Chocolate

N.O. Holder & Associates is now representing Advanced Micro Controls (AMCI) in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

Automation.com, April 2011 By Bill Lydon, Editor Hannover Messe 2011 was larger than any other in the last 10 years, with more than 230,000 visitors. More than 6,500 businesses from 65 countries came to Hannover to display their solutions. The attendance numbers represent a growth of 10 to 15 percent over the comparable 2009 event.