Industrial Automation News for the Next Generation
Welcome to Library.AutomationDirect.com, where the stacks are filled with tons of industrial automation news & you don’t even need a library card! Here you can read articles from the Automation NOTEBOOK loaded with informative technical articles keeping you on top of what’s happening in the automation industry. Company news, press releases, application stories and more are right here at your fingertips!
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There are many practical and cost-effective ways for designers to incorporate automation redundancy for systems of any size. Automation redundancy has largely been reserved for larger process automation systems due to cost and complexity. However, there are now more products and design strategies suitable for applying redundancy to smaller-scale systems. Rin Irvin at AutomationDirect covers…
To improve performance and reliability, this grain blending company knew it needed to upgrade its homebrew controls to a modern control system platform. Many small- and mid-sized manufacturing operations have some degree of automated equipment, but lack the in-house skill to perform upgrades and capital projects. Ethan Taylor founded Taylor Controls to help this market…
What makes the ‘swoosh’ noise happen when a soda can opens? What powers the gates, brakes, and passenger restraint systems on a roller coaster? What makes animatronics work at an amusement park? Compressed air is the magic that makes all these things happen – and much more. Compressed air consists of the same mix of…
January 31, 2024 – AutomationDirect has added more quality Wera tool choices to their great selection of industrial tools. Wera is a well-known leading manufacturer of quality, ergonomic, and safety-oriented tools. Our new additions include Kraftform Plus standard hex tip screwdrivers and slotted terminal block tools, Kraftform Micro precision screwdrivers, Zyklop Mini ratcheting screwdrivers with…
January 31, 2024 – AutomationDirect has added a variety of ProSense and AchieVe brand submersible level transmitters to their growing lineup of level sensors. ProSense GPLT series general-purpose submersible level sensors are designed for water applications and offer a slim housing diameter in several sensing ranges and cable lengths. ProSense NFLT series non-fouling, submersible level…
January 31, 2024 – AutomationDirect has added a wide assortment of black-colored FATH T-slotted hardware components to match their SureFrame black anodized T-slotted rails. These components include cube connectors (2D and 3D) and angle connectors; joining plates including straight flat plates, square flat plates, rectangular flat plates, Tee flat plates, cross flat plates, L-shaped flat…
January 31, 2024 – AutomationDirect has added LUTZE SUPERFLEX control cable that is well-suited for short to medium-length articulated drag chain (C-tracks) installations requiring moderate to high performance. The High Glide TPE insulation and PVC outer jacket provide resistance to sunlight, oil, and moisture penetration, and make this cable ideal for indoor wet and dry applications…
Featured Products Productivity2000 series PLCs are packed with features you’d pay thousands for elsewhere including built-in data logging and tag name programming CPU starting at $299 w/FREE software C-More CM5 HMIs offer lower cost, high-performance HMIs in sizes from 4 inches to an impressive 22 inches. They provide an amazing 1.6 GHz processor in the…
Automating a Big Rig Light Show A truck customization shop expanded their capabilities by offering AutomationDirect PLCs and HMIs to control expansive on-vehicle lighting displays.Just as many car owners like to customize their rides, there is a growing convoy of truck operators who like to do the same as a personal and promotional statement. Dickerson…
March 20, 2024 – AutomationDirect has added Helukabel TOPFLEX 600V VFD cable designed to handle the power needs of VFDs and limit the effects of electromagnetic interference, helping to prevent costly machine downtime. This cable is available in 16 AWG to 2 AWG sizes with individual class K flexible stranded tinned copper conductors covered with…
March 13, 2023 – AutomationDirect has added new high-quality and efficient stainless steel Seifert 340 BTU/H thermoelectric coolers with 120- and 230-volt power options. Thermoelectric coolers from Seifert use the Peltier Effect to create a temperature difference between the internal and ambient heat sinks, making internal air cooler while dissipating heat into the external environment….
March 13, 2024 – AutomationDirect has added GC Valves solenoid process valves to expand their general purpose valve selection. These valves are simple 2-way or 3-way electrically controlled valves that control fluid flow through a pipe or other process. Supported fluids include compressed air, inert gases, coolant, and water. Several styles support a range of…
March 13, 2023 – AutomationDirect has added additional AttaBox Heartland and Heartland SL (shallow-depth) series polycarbonate wall-mount single-door enclosures. These enclosures are available in various sizes with an opaque or smoked transparent door, and either polycarbonate or stainless-steel latches. The new AttaBox enclosures include models with a built-in shelf and are available with NEMA 1/3R/4/4X/12…
March 4, 2024 – AutomationDirect has added AchieVe PSA series value power supplies which offer prices well below the competition and are ideal for price-sensitive users who require basic yet reliable DC power for general industrial applications. Their overcurrent protection is designed to operate in constant current mode, making the PSA series suitable for inductive…
March 6, 2024 – AutomationDirect has added even more network cabling options to their lineup of Communication products. The new AchieVe brand fiber optic Ethernet patch cables provide reliable low-cost multi-mode fiber connections. These cables contain optical fibers that transmit data signals as light, offering much higher transmission speeds than copper cables, and are naturally…