In this issue, you will read an article about an outstanding group of college students who competed in the 2007 Solar Decathlon held in Washington, D.C. We also have an article from guest writer Keith Schmitz about the innovative ways Boston Children’s Museum is working to save the planet while educating our youth.
– TJ Johns
Senior Editor
In this issue of the Automation Notebook…
Crossword Puzzle In each issue of the Automation Notebook we feature a section of brainteasers. In this issue we are featuring a crossword puzzle. Here are the answers to the crossword puzzle from Issue 11, 2009 of the Automation Notebook. The crossword puzzle is repeated in black and the answers to the crossword puzzle is…
Memory Aids… We all have used an acronym, mnemonic, rhyme, word association, or other technique to help us remember information, lists, events, etc. I know they work because most of them are still stuck in my head. See how many of the following you may remember. Resistor Color Code Color bands are used to represent…
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookFYIIssue 11 – 2008Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProcess Sensing & ControlProduct
ProSense Q&A
When selecting a pressure sensor, what factors should I consider? There are three primary considerations when selecting a pressure sensor; pressure values the system will have, temperature of the process material and the compatibility of the sensor with the process fluid. System pressure values – the normal working pressure should be below the maximum range of…
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookIssue 11 – 2008Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLC SpeakingProductProgrammable Control
What About PC Control?
Control fads have come and control fads have gone, but through it all Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) have withstood the test of time. However, there are times when the basic ladder logic programmed PLC is not the best answer to your control solution. Enter PC-based control … PC-Based Control PC-based control (application control from a…
+Tech TopicsAutomation NotebookEnclosures & AccessoriesIssue 11 – 2008Learning ResourcesNotebook IssueProductTechnical Review
What Do The NEMA Ratings Mean?
NEMA Ratings for Enclosures This article defines of some NEMA Ratings for enclosures that are used in industrial settings. Along with a description clarifying what each NEMA rating actually means, is an explanation on what the enclosures are typically used for. NEMA 1 NEMA 1 enclosures are typically used for protecting controls and terminations from…
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookDrivesEducation/DIYIndustryIssue 11 – 2008Learning ResourcesMachine ToolNotebook IssueProductTech ThreadVariable Speed Drives
Teaching an Old Dog Some New Tricks
Modernizing The Speed Controls Of Hardinge Turret Lathes Using AutomationDirect GS2 Variable Frequency Drives Just about every machinist in the U.S. has encountered a Hardinge turret lathe during the course of their career. These little machines, commonly referred to as “second operation lathes”, are astoundingly productive pieces of equipment which still have great value in…
ApplicationApplication StoriesAutomation NotebookAutomationDirect SpotlightHMIIndustryIssue 11 – 2008Learning ResourcesMachine ToolNotebook IssueOperator InterfacePLCProductProgrammable ControlSecuritySystem IntegratorsUser Solutions
Sustainable Automation, Inc. Improves Efficiency of Lock Pin Laminating Machine
InstaKey Security System, a lock management company in Denver, Colorado, supplies lock cylinders that can be re-keyed up to twelve times using only a step-change key. The step-change key is a specially designed device which removes a single metal wafer from a glued stack inside the chamber of a lock cylinder. Because of the growing…
We hear every day about the importance of conserving energy and the increasing need to use renewable natural resources. To help educate people on ways to “go green,” various organizations sponsor events which display and explain unique ways one can conserve energy while maintaining an otherwise normal life. One such event is the Solar Decathlon….
ApplicationData CollectionEnergy/UtilitiesIndustryIssue 11 – 2008Notebook IssueOperator InterfaceProductProgrammable ControlTechnology Brief
Sunlight Efficiency Detector (SLED) Chosen as Finalist in Freescale Semiconductor Contest
Announced in October 2007, Freescale’s first FTF Design Challenge encouraged embedded systems designers worldwide to “go green”. A team of engineers from FACTS Engineering, including Tom Moulton and Eric Wilhelmson, took up the challenge with their design for a SunLight Efficiency Detector or SLED. FACTS is a federation partner of AutomationDirect, and the supplier of…
For the Forsyth Alliance, the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics team sponsored by AutomationDirect, the 2007-2008 season was another successful adventure. In its third year, the team, comprised of students from Forsyth County, GA high schools, continued to expand its mentorship of local FIRST Lego League (FLL) teams, starting or…
We have added several exciting products since our last edition of the Automation Notebook. Here are some of the highlights about some of those new products including: High-Current Models Of Current Sensors, DC-to-DC Converters, High-Contrast C-more Micro-Graphic Panels, and 18 Gauge Electrical Wire. AutomationDirect Launches High-Current Models Of Current Sensors AutomationDirect has expanded the acuAMP™ line…
AutomationDirect has added ProSense™ pressure switches and transmitters to its growing offering of sensor products. ProSense pressure sensors are designed to monitor system pressure in hydraulic and pneumatic applications, while the vacuum sensors provide an accurate readout of increases and decreases in vacuum systems. ProSense sensors are smaller and easier to install than traditional mechanical…
Going Green Drives Home the Lesson at Boston Children’s Museum Many historians reckon that the Boston Tea Party took place on the banks of the city’s Fort Point Channel. Though the site may be somewhat in question, the educational impact of another present day revolution taking place at Boston Children’s Museum is indeed very firm….