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By Graham Nicholson, Phoenix Wrappers The addition of any element of automation is a big step for any production line. What factors into a decision? Follow this blueprint to make the decision.

By Daniel Atzori, PhD Implementing a cost-effective automation strategy is a top priority in the current oil price environment – and critical to eradicating production downtime.

By Rohit Bhargava, Microsoft With more than 10,000 OPC products available in the marketplace today, and deployments estimated to be in the tens of millions of instances, OPC UA enables companies to get started on business transformation today.

By Bill Lydon, Editor The latest technologies are expanding automation options at an incredibly fast rate. Significant changes within manufacturing companies will be driven by technology. Automation professionals need to take the lead in guiding management to adopt new technology or there will be turmoil.

By C.Sailaja and A.Gugharaja, TATA Consulting Engineers Ltd, Chennai Valves commonly used in process Industry are either pneumatically operated or electrically operated depending on the availability of Instrument air / power at that location and its application. With the advancement in technology, valve operation on Digital communication system has been introduced.

By Dee Brown, Brown Engineers Maximum cyber security protection is possible only when cyber security protection is embedded deeply into the control system electronics from birth.

By Jonathan Wilkins, European Automation The increasing availability of inexpensive, wireless sensors now lets facilities measure safety, regulatory compliance, equipment reliability and energy efficiency without breaking the bank.

By Glenn Schulz, Managing Director, FDT Group FDT Technology holds the key to integrating a wide range of devices and networks in today’s complex process automation architecture. Ongoing development of this technology, driven by growing instrumentation supplier involvement, is enabling end users to realize the true potential of decentralization, transparency, integration, and a unified view of all data and functions within the manufacturing enterprise.

By John Mitchell, CP Automation Voltage distortion, caused by current harmonics can wreak havoc in a plant, its equipment and the mains power supply. Here are useful tips for mitigating harmonics.

By Dave Hammond, M.A.C. Solutions For machine builders that offer remote access support and diagnostics for their installed machines, security is obviously a major concern.

By Bill Lydon, Editor Automation Fair 2015 was described as a showcase of the latest advances in manufacturing and industrial automation enabled by the convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT). Here are highlights of a few interesting Encompass Partner products.

By Brigg Patten Advanced robotics perform complex or difficult tasks so that workers can focus on strategic and operational functions and decision making.

By Jonathan Wilkins, European Automation Five years after the Stuxnet attack, all SCADA and PLC systems across the manufacturing industry are vulnerable, no matter how small.

By Jonathan Wilkins Putting aside the traditional and universal signs of something going wrong, such as programme bugs and wiring errors, here are the top five things that can go wrong with a PLC.

By Tony Armstrong, Linear Technology Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) can be powered via energy harvesting. Here’s how to design a nanopower device that works with very low levels of power and current.

By John Senese for Industrial IP Advantage Virtualization is highly beneficial in an industrial IT scenario where there are lots of software applications that perform functions for a small number of machines or manufacturing processes.

By Bill Lydon, Editor The growing need in the biotechnology industry for many new products that serve smaller populations is driving manufacturers to consider highly flexible, modular facilities. The emerging “Factory of the Future” model is intended to address this new customized, small-batch product demand.

By Scott Cameron, ASCO Numatics Several types of valves are used to control cooling in the fermentation stage of industrial winemaking. The wine cooling process itself is fairly straightforward. But examining that process may highlight how valves can function as surprisingly important ingredients in improving a wide variety of cooling applications.

By Nick Boughton, Boulting Group Connected devices have infiltrated every aspect of our lives, including the most traditional industry sectors. Here arethe challenges connectivity poses for industry, particularly with regard to systems integration and the water industry.

Subsea technologies are evolving at breakneck speed. There is a pressing need for optimum productivity and offshore operators are willing to invest in promising technologies.