Industrial Automation News for the Next Generation
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Recent Posts
The right surge suppression technologies help protect valuable equipment and digital systems from electrical surges, while ensuring designs comply with regulatory requirements. Electrical surges represent a persistent yet often underestimated threat to today’s technologically advanced commercial and industrial facilities. In this Automation World December 2025 article titled Industrial Surge Protection: Essential Technologies and Installation Standards…
Industrial motion control is used to operate a variety of apparatuses, including gripping, transporting, and moving mechanisms on small machines, plus multi-axis robotics, large web handling systems, and much more. This overview explains the key concepts of motion control systems. In an industrial automation context, the term “motion control” usually refers to using an electric…
Every workplace shares a common goal to keep employees safe and productive while preventing costly accidents. The reality is, moving machinery means risk. But with the right protection, that risk can be minimized. That’s where Velox Machine Guarding comes in. Designed to create a safe perimeter around equipment, it helps businesses meet regulatory standards, reduce…
Highlights When it comes to keeping the plant running efficiently, there’s an element that is always present but often overlooked. It’s the power and current that runs through machines. And all that needs to be managed and protected. In this issue of NOTEBOOK, we explore all aspects of this invisible force, exploring the need for…
When a plant’s main control panel went up in flames, it wasn’t a lightning strike or a voltage surge that caused the damage. The root cause was far more preventable and far more common: an undersized circuit protection device that couldn’t handle the available fault current. The result was catastrophic. The customer lost the entire…
By: Brent Purdy and David Saenz, Automation Direct Introduction Is your facility plagued by high energy costs, frequent nuisance trips, and repeated asset failures? Power monitoring could be just solution you need. Without data, it’s impossible to make informed decisions. After all, you can’t fix it if you can’t see it. Power monitors, or power…
Stepper Motors: What They Are and Their Role in Industrial Automation Trying to get perfect, repeatable motion can be a headache. A small mistake in positioning can ruin a job and cost you time. The solution is precision motion—that’s where stepper motors come in. So, what is a stepper motor? Watch the video PLC or…
Tie Fighter Let’s number the 4 ties that we plan to move: Then move them to these new positions: Do Your Level Best Here is a sketch of the tank with the block lowered into place. Let h represent the height of the increased level (as shown) that we wish to determine. Let’s also label three areas:…
Tie Fighter Move only four cable ties so that the cable ties form three unique equilateral triangles. We’ve recently added a number of additional specialty cable ties and cable tie mounting products including the “winged push-in panel ties” shown in this puzzle. Check them out here: go2adc.com/sapiselco Do Your Level Best The liquid level in the…
Press Releases
November 19th, 2025-AutomationDirect now offers Dold 9019 soft starters which offer simple dial setup for standard and light-duty three-phase applications under 9 amps and support a voltage range of 200-480VAC. These soft starters are in an ultra-compact, space-saving package with many great options, including a soft stop feature. Like most other solid-state soft starters, they…
November 19th, 2025-AutomationDirect has added Endress+Hauser Micropilot FMR series FMCW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) radar level transmitters that utilize 80 GHz radar technology, which is unaffected by most media, processes, or environmental factors. Using the change in frequency between the transmitted and reflected signals and time-of-flight calculations, the FMR series sensors continuously measure liquid or…
November 19th, 2025-AutomationDirect now offers Fibox MNX and TEMPO series polycarbonate miniature cases which are engineered to deliver durable, adaptable protection for every installation need. The MNX series combines a premium thick-wall construction with reinforced corners for superior impact resistance and long-term performance. A corrosion-free polyamide screw cover ensures a secure seal, while metric knockouts sized…
November 19th, 2025-AutomationDirect now offers Sumitomo heat shrink tubing to support all wiring management needs, with both adhesive-lined and non-adhesive tubing options. Sumitomo’s Sumitube B2 is the go-to non-adhesive heat shrink tubing, ideal for general-purpose applications such as wire marking and light harness insulation. Sumitomo W3B2 heat shrink tubing combines a flame-retardant polyolefin outer layer…
AutomationDirect now offers di-soric patch cable in-line sensor signal converters which are compact, plug-and-play devices designed to provide versatile signal management right at the sensor. They allow for quick, easy retrofitting with existing M8 or M12 quick-disconnect sensors, making it simple to instantly upgrade discrete sensing capabilities without complex system changes. These rugged converters deliver…
AutomationDirect has added ProSense DPM4 series advanced digital panel meters which combine precision and versatility in a compact 1/8 DIN package. They accept a variety of sensor inputs and provide customizable analog, discrete, and serial outputs via optional expansion cards. Features include bright main and secondary LED displays, selectable sensor excitation, configuration lockout, and an…